Somewhere I Belong
by Kalika Aryn
Summary: Completed: So, if you had a healing ability, do you think some people might want to take advantage of that? That's what I thought. Just that thing happens to a new mutant at the Institute.
1. Leaving a Home Behind

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Disclaimer: Ok, for I have to say I, of course, do not own any of the X-Men. If I did, I wouldn't be sitting here, typing on this old-ass computer. I'd be sportin' some new software… and did I just use the word 'sportin''? Oh my gosh… ::shakes head:: Anyways, like I said, any character that can be found in the Marvel Universe is just being borrowed for this story, though I wouldn't mind paying the extra charge to keep Logan out a little longer. Oh yeah, I've changed some aspects of the Evolution life, cause, well, we haven't actually gotten to see the rest of the fourth season… so things are kinda just hanging. I've decided to put Evan back with the X crew, even though I don't like him. Seriously, if they wanted some bone throwin', attitude sportin' mutant, why didn't they just bring in Marrow? Other little things might have been changed, I'm not really sure. I'll give a cookie to the first person to find all of 'em.

Oh yes, I also have to say this to anyone who notices. My character's name is Shay and she's a silver, gargoyle like creature. Now, it's come to my attention in the last few weeks that there's already a series out there of fanfiction that also has a character named Shay that's gargoyle like in appearance. Now, I swear on my Lord of the Rings collection that I came up with my Shay character way before I ever heard of Next-X and their Shay creation. I mean, there had to come a time when two people would come up with almost the exact same character in the fan fiction world. So yeah, I just wanted to make a point that I didn't steal this character… it's just a very large coincidence. [Wow, that's the longest disclaimer I've ever written. ]

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Warnings: Sorry, no warnings this time. Well, except for language and dark themes, but that's why this is rated R.

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Somewhere I Belong

Chapter 1

Deep in the sewers of New York City, a group of people live their lives in secret, away from the rest of humanity, those who stare and whisper, the ones who don't understand. Hidden in a maze of tunnels and ladders, shielded by shadows and mist, the Morlocks have escaped persecution and the hate that normal humans have for mutants.

The Morlocks are ruled by Callisto at this time, though it will not always be. Callisto is now a young mutant, only just beginning to test the boundaries of her power and control. She's a good leader; both kind and strict in equal amounts, though at the moment her hands are filled with a young mutant named Shay.

Callisto gave the name to her over a year ago, when she first showed up in the Morlock tunnels. Another mutant had found the girl in an alley on the surface, hidden behind a dumpster, bloody and beaten. Callisto had asked what her name was, but the girl didn't have one. Thus, Callisto began to call the girl Shay. 

The odd name matched the girl perfectly. Long, thin limbs, Shay moved always in graceful strides, though she did not know it. Wide solid colored eyes of magenta matched her lips and hair, which was cut short, the tips touching the bottoms of her pointed ears, the front covering the sides of her face. Her eyes were wide, the glowing magenta almost hypnotic to anyone who looked at her, a small button nose making her look younger then her years. The rest of her body, her skin, was colored a silver gray, like moonlight reflecting off a lake. The striking contrast between her hair and skin gave Shay the look of a true oddity in the world.

The most noticed part of Shay though, were her wings. Two silver wings, just like a gargoyle's, sprouted from her back. The gargoyle resemblance didn't stop there though, as that her feet and hands both were larger in size then normal, and her fingers ended in, for a lack of a better word, small claws. A thick tail helped give Shay an added bonus for balance. Overall, Shay looked more like she needed to be perched atop a castle then hidden under the sewers of New York.

For almost a year and a half now, Shay had made a home along side the other Morlocks. Her physical mutations were not an oddity among the other teens. Her past remained hidden from all, except Callisto, who Shay talked to often when she was worried or anxious. She'd spend the rest of her time either sitting quietly among the others, reading any book that happened to find it's way into the tunnel or she'd find an empty chamber away from the Morlocks to spread her wings.

Now, Shay was perched on a short wall, her wings spread slightly to help keep her balance, tail pushing lightly against the wall. Callisto was seated on a crate a few feet away, arms crossed. For the past couple of weeks, Shay's body was showing a long hidden mutation. Most mutant genes would manifest in a person's early teen years, just as puberty began. But for Shay, both her skin pigmentation and her wings had been apparent from birth.

This new mutation though, it had only begun to manifest in the past few weeks, which was extremely odd since Shay could be no younger then 17. The first reaction was when Shay touched a younger mutant, helping him up from the ground. When the boy fell, he'd cut his arm on a rock. 

The minute their hands met, an odd white glow emitted from the spot they touched, and Shay cried out in pain, pulling her hand back. A warmth had spread through her fingers, into her hand and up her arm, pouring into her body. The spasm of pain blurred her vision for a brief second, then her hand had pulled away and the pain began to dull. After checking over the two, to make sure no one was injured, the younger mutant realized that his cut was gone. Everyone looked to Shay and she looked to her hands.

Scared of what was happening to her, Shay stayed apart from the other Morlocks for a few days, working things over in her head. She worried about this mutation, another so-called 'gift' graciously given to her, which she would curse some nights, in darkness and tears. These nights were mostly haunted by her past, with her father…

"Callisto, I don't know what to do. I mean, what the hell is this? Some kind of late forming mutation? I woulda thought this silver skin and wings were enough of a pain in the ass," Shay muttered from atop the wall. Her hands fidgeted with the watch on her wrist. Callisto had no idea why Shay wore the thing, it didn't work.

"I'm not sure either Shay. We'll work on it."

"How? I mean, no offense Cal," – Shay was one of the few who could get away with calling her Cal -, "but what do you want to do? Hurt a couple of the kids and let me touch 'em? See if it happens again? Should I get a little piece of chalk so we can mark it on a wall?"

Callisto let out a sigh and shot a look at the other girl. Both were about the same age and height, 5'4" or 5'5", and were both extremely stubborn, though Shay had developed a biting wit that annoyed Callisto to no end.

"No, Shay. We'll think of something, ok?"

Shay bit her lip for a second-- a bad habit -- then finally hopped down from the wall, landing a few feet in front of Callisto. 

"I've decided to leave the Morlocks."

Callisto's head snapped up. "What are you talking about?"

Sighing, Shay folded her wings tightly against her back and hugged herself. The tunnels were freezing, as normal. "I've been thinking for the past few days, talked to some of the other kids. I want to think you for all your help, but I need something now you can't give me. I need answers."

Shay turned and began to walk away. Callisto sprang up off her crate and grabbed Shay's arm. "Where do you think you can find these answers?"

"Xavier's." Shay's reply caused Callisto to flinch.

"You think you'll fit in there? That they'll even look at you? You're a Morlock, Shay. Xavier's kids and us Morlocks don't go together."

"What about Spyke?" Shay felt her anger rising. This wasn't what she wanted. She should have just left without saying goodbye, but she couldn't have. Not after all the Morlocks, most of all Callisto, had done for her. She wouldn't just leave without thanking her.

"What about Spyke?" Callisto repeated her. "Xavier tossed him out when his mutation became physical, I've told you that."

"That's not what I've heard, Cal. I heard Spyke choose to come here. That the X-Men actually came to get him."

"That's rubbish," Callisto laughed, though Shay could hear the nervousness in it. Callisto's hold on her arm tightened. "Listen to me Shay. Don't go."

Shay wrenched her arm away and shook her head. "I'm sorry Cal, but I got to. I'm worried about this- this touch of mine. I don't know what's going on but I think Xavier can help me figure it out."

"And what if he doesn't? What if the great Professor has no answers? What will you do then?"

Shay let out a final sigh, her face falling. "Then I guess I'll be on my own again."

After that, she turned and walked away. Callisto let her go, but called after her, "They won't take you in, not you, not any of us! We're the freak mutants, don't forget that Shay!"

When the girl's form disappeared into the shadow, Callisto cursed to herself. She turned and stormed into the next chamber, scaring Leech out of his chair.

"Contact Magneto," Callisto said, almost sadly. "Tell him Shay is heading towards Xavier's and if he still wants her, he'll need to move pretty damn fast."

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****Notes****

"There goes my hero, watch him as he goes. There goes my hero, he's ordinary." I don't know why, but I think this song goes along with Logan perfectly. Anyways, notes? Well, let's see. This is the first fan fic that I've actually started uploading chapters without the whole story already being written. So, since I'm the author, I hold the rights to come back and switch some things around with I feel the need. Oh yesh, also, don't expect another update anytime soon. I'm graduating from high school in a week… I might be kinda busy goofin' off and acting like an idiot for the next month or so.


	2. What's a Magneto?

Somewhere I Belong ****

Chapter 2

Kitty climbed up into the X-Van, a grin plastered on her face. "Alright! Lesson number three!" she cried as she slammed the van door shut. She pulled the seat belt across her shoulder and lap, then shoved the key into the ignition.

Logan wasn't so enthusiastic. After the last time he and Kitty were in the car together, he'd sworn to himself that he wouldn't do it again, not willingly, anyway. Bot no other adults were free at the moment, and Kitty's driver's test was next week.

"Ok kid, easy this time," Logan's gruff voice was almost the complete opposite of Kitty's valley girl talk. He too pulled the belt securely over his chest, giving it a strong pull, just to test it.

The X-Van roared to life, and to Logan's surprise, began to slowly roll down the drive, a vast improvement over last time. "Not bad, kid."

Kitty gave him a quick grin, then looked back to the road. The main gate opened wide and they passed through, heading towards the busy city.

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Shay stayed in the shadows as she left the Morlock tunnel. At first, she was doubtful of Callisto's words. Xavier would help her; he was nothing like her father. Callisto was lying to her… right?

With a sigh, Shay leaned against a brick wall, her wings like a mat behind her. Was this a mistake? Sadly, she did fit in with the Morlocks, a society where she didn't have to hide her face, hair or wings. But Xavier's Institute, that was public domain. Most if not all of those kids would never know the kind of brutality Shay had experienced in her short life.

Except Spyke, also known as Evan to a few. Shay had never talked to him, though she'd seen him once in the tunnels. She'd watched him wave goodbye, then walk to the one tunnel that would led you out of Morlockia, as Shay had nicknamed it. 

Afterwards, she'd asked around about the boy that had left the day she had came. He was the nephew of a very powerful mutant named Storm, who lived at Xavier's Institute. Evan's mutation had been changing him for awhile. Large plates, like an armadillo, had been growing all over his body. Scared and confused, Evan had found some happiness with the Morlocks for awhile, though his love for his aunt and his friends at the Institute eventually stole him away from the Morlocks.

A noise down the alley caused Shay to lose her train of thought. She looked up and took a step back as she stared at a man that continued to approach her, despite her silver skin and large wings.

He wore an odd helmet, colored red and purple. It covered all but the very center on his face, his eyes gleaming out of the shadow. A cap hung down his back, a few inches short of the ground. All his clothing matched the same red and purple of his helmet.

"Hello my child," he British accent was obvious, giving his voice a comfortable feel. Shay relaxed for a second, then threw up her defenses again. What in the hell was going on?

"Who are you?" Shay asked quickly. She spread her wings, stretching them out just in case she needed to make a quick exit. Normally she wouldn't fly during the day, but if he meant trouble, she'd make an exception.

"A friend, I promise." He finally stopped a few feet away from her. He gently pulled the helmet off, revealing a head of thick white hair, steel blue eyes. "My name is Magneto and I only want to help you."

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Help me how? His eyes reminded Shay of her father's, which wasn't a good thing, for him anyways.

His mile faded. "I know about your new mutation, your touch of life. I can help you control it, strengthen it."

Now Shay really didn't understand. "Wait. How did you know that?"

"Trust me," Magneto began, but Shay turned and began walking back down the alley, her voice calling over her shoulder.

"No thanks, buddy. I stopped trusting people a long time ago."

His next words stopped her dead in her tracks.

"Not everyone is as hateful as your father, Shay. Some people truly do want to help you."

Shay's blood ran cold and she closed her eyes for a second. In her mind she could remember his hands on her back, the knife… She blinked back her tears. "When I need help, I'll let you know."

"I think you do need help or you would not be seeking Charles Xavier."

Shay turned and looked at him. "How do you-." She sighed quietly and looked at the older man. "I know about Xavier. You, on the other hand, are a mystery to me."

Magneto held his arms open. "What can I say to gain your trust? I'm a mutant who believes the oppression of those like us is wrong and I want to change things." The old man's demeanor changed for a split second. His eyes hardened, his body tensed, then it was gone and he was Shay's newfound 'friend' again.

"Why do you want to help me?" Shay asked after a few silent seconds. 

"Because the mutation you have, if you learn to control it and expand it, it can become an extraordinary gift. Shay, after time, you may hold the power to bring someone back to life."

A smirk appeared on Shay's face. "Yeah, I get it not. It'd be nice to have a little lifesaver on your side." Shay paused for a second and chewed her lip. "I don't know," she said to herself.

Shay stared at him for a few moments. "I still want to talk with Xavier," she finally said. "I've heard too many things, that Xavier can help me. You may be telling the truth, but I have to try this first."

It was Magneto's turn to smirk. "Xavier is not the one you need. He's not a help to mutants, but to our enemies, the humans who hate us. You of all people should know how much this hate hurts."

Shay hung her head and stood silent. How did he know so much about her? She looked up again. "I don't want the rest of my life to be shadowed by hate."

Magneto opened his mouth to reply when a from the end of the alley called his name. The owner of the voice came closer and Shay was a little surprised to see a young man step to Magneto's side. He wore a long trench coat, one hand hidden deep in the pocket. Short hair held back by one odd head-band, the thing Shay noticed first were his eyes. A light of burning red stared at her from under his brow. No doubt about it, he was a mutant.

After stopping at Magneto's side and whispered something to the older mutant. Even with her semi-heightened hearing Shay could only catch a few words that made no sense together.

Magneto looked back at her and gave her a sad smile, confusing Shay even more. "I must leave, but I want to tell you that there will be an open spot for you, if Xavier can not help you."

"Thank you," Shay said without thought. Magneto nodded and turned while placing the helmet back on his head. The boy gave her a wink and followed him back out of the alley. 

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****Notes****

Wow, I finally got chapter two up. And, what do you know, I'm listening to the Foo Fighters again. I really gotta go buy some more CDs. Anyways, the next chapter is actually going to start out with Shay still in the alley, but if I had left it all connected together, the chapter would have been ten pages long… and that's just too much. Oh yes, also, Gambit: the hardest X-Men character to write. So yeah, if he turns out to be really odd and not Gambit-like at all, I take full responsibility, cause that Cajun is hard to get right. Hmm… I know the part with Logan and Kitty was kinda random, but it'll make more sense in the next chapter, I promise. Oh, and may I say, the episode where Kitty and Logan actually got driving: One of the funniest Evo moments ever. Plus, I like the ending of that episode. Muah-ha-ha! Logan's Revenge!!!


	3. Strange Happenings

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Somewhere I Belong

Chapter 3

Shay stood staring at the empty alley for a few minutes, thinking about what just happened. _What in the hell is going on?_ Shay sighed and headed in the direction Magneto and the boy had disappeared, which dead ended into the street. It was the early afternoon and hardly anyone was on the street.

Leaning a shoulder against a wall, Shay stayed in the alley. She didn't really want to head out during the day, it was easier to stay covered during the night. She needed something to do until dusk.

A large black van turned onto the street a few dozen feet away. It took the turn kind of wide, but quickly straightened out. Shay watched it near, stepping a few paces back into the shadows.

Suddenly Shay heard a groan, and she realized it was another car heading in the opposite direction of the van. She saw the confused look on the driver's face, a middle aged man, as his car jerked over the line right into the van.

"Jesus," Shay cried as she watched the car pass right through the van and smash into a telephone pole.

The van screeched to a stop and the door of the van's passenger side popped open. A man climbed out and automatically moved to the car. The driver's side opened much slower and a teenage girl slide out, one hand keeping a tight grip on the door.

Kitty's head was spinning. She'd never phased like that before and it felt like every molecule in her body was on fire. She knew she should be over helping Mr. Logan, but she wasn't sure her legs would carry her that far. 

Shay watched the man try to wrench the door open. A few flames licked their way through the car's hood. The driver didn't seem to be conscious, as he was slumped over the steering wheel.

To Shay's surprise, the man from the van popped a long claw out of his hand with a loud SNIKT, and began cutting the door off the car. "Well, that's not normal," Shay chuckled softly to herself.

Looking back to the girl, Shay gasped when she saw her collapse to the ground. The girl hadn't moved very far from the car, only a few feet before she dropped.

Shay stayed still for a few seconds, hoping the girl would get up or that the man would see her, but he had his hands full.

"Aw, shit," Shay finally muttered as she jogged over to the girl, very aware of the sunlight hitting her gray skin and the fact anyone walking by would notice the wings or tail sticking out of her back. But she couldn't just leave the girl lying in the middle of the street. She gave the claw-man a look as she jogged by. He was lifting the door off the car. The man inside was finally awake, though he didn't look like he had a full handle on the situation yet.

Shay dropped to her knees next to the girl. Brushing some hair out of her face, Shay looked down at her. Her eyelids fluttered softly, but didn't open.

SNAKT. Logan grabbed the guy and pulled him out of the car. The man's eyes seemed to still be fogged over, but he was coming around faster now.

"You alright?" Logan asked out of habit.

"Y-yeah," the man stuttered. "I don't know what happened. The car kinda just slide over. I couldn't control it."

Logan's face tightened at that, a small grunt passed his lips as he thought. He looked over to the van, wondering what happened to Kitty.

That's when he saw the two in the middle of the street. Kitty was lying on the ground, a few feet from the X-Van. Another girl, with silver skin, a tail and wings like a gargoyle was kneeling over Kitty, her hand moving quickly towards Kitty's face.

Logan let out a sound much like a growl and turned from the man, moving quickly towards the two girls. "Hey!" he shouted at them, but the girl's hand was already on Kitty's face.

Shay grimaced as the white light brightened, the warmth spreading up her arm, the pain already blossoming in her chest. She barely heard the man's shout. _Oh man, she was worse off then I thought._

Her mind began to get fuzzy and Shay tried to pull her hand back. "No," she whispered as she felt a hand push her shoulder back. Her hand pulled away from the girl's face and the warmth stopped, but not the pain.

Shay closed her eyes and took a few deep breaths. The roaring in her ears began to subside, though her mind still seemed to be slipping into a fog.

Logan stared at the girl. Her breathing was slow and deep, as though she'd just discovered oxygen. She was bent over, her wings brushing the pavement as they fell and rose with her breathing.

"Mr. Logan," Kitty's voice spoke up from the ground.

Logan turned and dropped down beside her. "Hey kid'," he helped her sit up slowly. "You alright?"

Kitty rubbed the back of her head, then nodded slowly. "Yeah, I'm fine." She looked over at him, then her eyes feel on the other girl, widening in shock.

After helping Kitty climb to her feet, Logan turned to face the girl. She too was standing, though her gray skin was even paler then before.

Shay's knees shook from a few seconds, but held. _Great, at least I'll be standing when he cuts me down. Damn claw-man. _Her mind was still a little foggy. 

She finally looked up at the man and girl. Shay was glad to see the girl smiling, though the man wasn't so happy.

"Better?" Shay croaked. _Wow. Really need to think before jumping in to save the day next time._

The girl nodded. "You didn't have to-. I mean, it wasn't-. Thank you, but who are you?" Her bubbly-ness was a little overwhelming for Shay, who's head finally seemed to reattach to her body, but just barely.

"My name's Shay, and I'm glad I could help," Shay said slowly. She began to turn to leave when her head began to spin again. 

Shay closed her eyes and took a quick second to gather herself. A nagging voice in the back of her mind was screaming she had to get back into the shadows, a lesson burned into her mind by the Morlocks and one she should probably listen to even now.

A hand on Shay's shoulder caused her to jerk away, though she regretted it when she saw the expression on the girl's face. Shay had nothing to fear though. The long sleeves of her shirt covered her arms. A large cut across the back left room for her wings and presented her a large amount of protection she normally wouldn't have.

"Sorry, but you startled me," Shay tried to smile at her.

"Are you, like, ok?"

Shay opened her mouth to say yes when the whine of an ambulance rolled over her. "Shit," Shay cursed -- causing Logan to raise an eyebrow out of amusement -- and spread her wings wide, smiling inside at the familiar feeling of excitement she got every time she opened her wings for flight. Without another word she was in the air and over the edge of a building.

"Wow," Kitty mused. She looked over at Logan, then back at the sky, as though Shay would be soaring by again.

Logan on the other hand was listening to the other girl's shallow breathing from atop the building. Kitty didn't know it, but when Shay disappeared over the ledge, she automatically dropped down to stay hidden while she rested. 

Finally realizing that they to should probably split, Logan gave the ledge a quick glance then turned away. "Get in the van, we got to go," Logan told Kitty as he moved towards the driver's side. As he did, he threw a glance at the man, who was seated on the curb, head between his knees.

Kitty did as he told and climbed up into the X-Van. "It was weird," she started as Logan slide into his seat. "My head was, like, all fuzzy and I felt really weak, but then it was gone and I felt great. I opened my eyes and saw you and this girl."

Logan looked over at her, then back to the road. The X-Van jumped to life and pulled away just as the flames on the other man's car finally reached the gas tank. The explosion broke the windows in the surrounding buildings, but not in the X-Van, which was already racing back to the mansion.

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****Notes****

Meh. I don't… really… like this chapter. I know, I wrote it, so what in the hell am I talking about, right? ::shrugs:: I dunno. I wrote it whole in American Government class, so that might have something to do with it. Whatever. Other then that, I really got nothing. Except that maybe the story will hopefully get better then this… or maybe you guys like this chapter… which doesn't make much sense to me. Perhaps you could explain it to me?


	4. With a Broken Watch

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Somewhere I Belong

Chapter 4

Outside the office's windows, the sun had set long ago, the sky now filled with a large full moon and thousands of stars. Inside, three of the four adults in charge of the students at Xavier's Institute were discussing the afternoon's strange events.

"It was odd Charles. I turned to look at Kitty and this girl was kneelin' over her, like some kinda saint."

Professor Charles Xavier sat behind his desk in his wheelchair, listening to Logan. The Professor, head of Xavier's Institute for the Gifted, was an older man, though still spirited. Bald with blue eyes, Xavier was a highly experienced telepath, able to search the globe for a single person with the help of Cerebro.

"Cerebro has not picked up any new signs of mutants in the area. How old was the girl?"

Logan's brow furrowed. "17, maybe 18. Not sure, but if she's been out and about, we woulda heard about it a little earlier then this."

"Why is that?" Ororo Munroe, alias Storm and aunt to Evan, asked from Logan's left. She stood by the far wall, next to Xavier's desk. 

Logan looked between her and Xavier. "She had silver skin, a tail and wings, not somethin' ya see everyday, even in New York."

At this time, outside the Institute, Shay dropped to the ground a few feet away from the main doors. The sun had set a few hours ago and she had traveler under the cover of night. She would have arrived earlier, but the cool air had been to inviting, causing her to take a few seconds to drink it in, perched in a dark alcove of one of New York's higher buildings.

Now, she stood in the long drive infront of the Institute, looking up at its size, wondering what in the hell she was doing here. Callisto's last words echoed in her mind. Would they shun her, kick her back out on the streets? Having regular mutants was probably trouble enough, but one with blue skin and wings? 

But, that was one thing that Shay always wondered about. Who were the other mutants that Xavier's housed? Evan was about the only one she'd ever heard of, besides Charles Xavier. Perhaps there were mutants living in the school that looked even odder then herself. Shay laughed at the thought, but didn't dismiss it. Maybe she wouldn't be so weird, so abnormal. 

In the end, with no invitation, no bags, only the clothes on her back and a broken watch, Shay took a deep breath, walked up to the door and knocked loudly.

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Charles thought silently for a moment. "And you're sure she didn't say anything else?" Logan nodded his head and Charles looked over at Ororo. "Hank's done examining Kitty, correct?"

"Yes. I spoke with him before I came in. He said Kitty seems fine, in perfect health actually."

Xavier took a few moments to put his thoughts in order about this girl. Logan's story was odd, especially the appearance of the girl. Logan had described the scene to Charles, noting the white light that appeared when the girl touched Kitty. 

"Well, if Hank says Kitty is in good health, then the girl must not have meant any harm, which goes along with Logan's story. Adding to that, her physical mutations would make her a good candidate for the Morlocks."

Ororo averted her eyes from Charles', looking instead to the window beside her. Not holding the Morlocks in the highest regards in her mind, Evan still would not tell her of the short time he spent in the sewers beneath New York. The leader of the group, Callisto, was, to Ororo, not the most trustworthy mutant.

"I would much rather know what pushed that car over in front of the van," Logan growled as he crossed his arms. "The guy was dazed, but I believe him. Something made it move over."

"If you're speaking about Magneto-" Logan's eyebrows raised "-then that wouldn't make much sense," Xavier said with a frown. "Why cause a small accident? What purpose did it serve?"

"You're asking the wrong guy, Charles."

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Back outside the doors, Shay closed her eyes, waiting for an answer to her knock, and took another deep breath. The pain from earlier was gone, though she still remembered the feeling. She wondered how the girl was doing, and hoped it was better then herself. 

That's just when the door finally popped open, revealing a teenage girl. The other girl wore dark clothing, covering her legs, arms and even a pair of gloves. Shay couldn't help but notice the bright streak of white hair that highlighted the front of her face. The rest was a dark brown.

"Can ah help ya?" A strong Southern accent was the last thing Shay would have imagined to come out of the girl's mouth. Shay watched the girl's eyes widen when she finally looked at Shay. Her mouth dropped open slightly, the normal reaction Shay got.

"Whoa," the girl said softly.

"I'm, um, here to see Professor Xavier," Shay finally spoke.

"Aa, right," the girl said and stepped back, letting Shay slip in.

"Like, on my god!" a sudden cry caused Shay to turn quickly.

"What the -," Shay said to herself. It was the girl from the city. She came bouncing into the foyer, stopping beside the other girl.

"That's her, Rogue, the girl I was talking about," she said quickly to this Rogue. Then she looked to Shay. "What are you doing here?"

"I wanted to talk with the Professor," Shay replied. "What are you doing here? Are you a student?" The girl nodded. "I guess I should have just asked for a ride earlier," Shay muttered to herself.

"Hey Kitty!" another shout caused all the girls to turn. This time, Shay's eyes widened at the boy that walked in. Covered in blue fur, two bright yellow eyes shined out at her, the boy stopped in the doorway when he saw Shay. A sudden feeling of happiness and fright filled Shay. Happiness at the fact she now knew Xavier did take in mutants in physical mutations, and fear because the boy looked like some sort of demon.

The bubbly girl, Shay was guessing was the 'Kitty' the boy had shouted, motioned him closer. "Kurt, this is Shay, the girl from this afternoon."

Shay was getting a little sick of the phrase 'girl from this afternoon,' but kept quiet. She just needed to talk with the Professor.

"Hello," Kurt said with a genuine smile. His eyes had not widened when he first saw Shay and she smiled at him for it. His voice held some kind of accent, but she wasn't sure what it was.

She nodded her head at him, still smiling. "Is the Professor here?"

All three of the kids nodded, Kurt stepped between the two girls and jerked his head towards the hall. "This way, I'll show you."

"Thanks," Shay nodded at Kitty and Rogue, then followed Kurt down the hall. She smiled to herself when she saw his tail.

"So, you saved Kitty then?" Kurt said over his shoulder. Shay decided his accent was foreign, maybe German or Russian.

She moved up beside him, falling into step with him. "I guess. I mean, no."

Kurt laughed, easing Shay's tension. "Don't worry. Kitty's already told everyone everything."

"Oh well, that's one less thing for me to do."

Kurt suddenly stopped outside a large wooden door. He turned around and looked at Shay."

"The Professor?" Shay asked with a half smile. Kurt nodded. "Any advice?"

"What do you want from him?" Kurt quizzed her.

Shay thought for a second. "His help."

Kurt smiled. "Show him really big puppy-dog eyes. Gets him every time."

****

****Notes****

Yeh, I know. Sudden ending suck, but I couldn't help it. Seriously, this whole 'short chapters' thing is really driving me nuts. Hardly any of my chapters are staying under 3 pages. Grrr. Anyways, once again, I don't really like this chapter. I can't write a Southern nor German accent, so you can just make 'em up in your heads, I guess. You all know what they should sound like anyways.


	5. Just In Case

****

Somewhere I Belong

Chapter 5

Charles opened his mouth to respond to Logan's last statement when there was a knock at the door. Closing his mouth, Charles' brow furrowed in concentration, then confusion. 

"Come in, Kurt," he finally said, loudly. Logan and Ororo both turned and saw the door open to show Kurt, but when it opened wider, a girl was standing next to the blue elf, a girl with silver skin, magenta hair and large wings. 

"Aah, Professor. This girl wants to talk with you," he motioned to the girl next to him.

Logan stood up from his chair. "That's-" he began, but Shay finished for him.

"-the girl this afternoon. Yeah," Shay said, more then a little irritated. She looked from Logan to the man behind the desk. "I was hoping to talk with you, Professor Xavier."

Charles stared at the girl for a few quiet moments. Shay began fidgeting under all the scrutiny. Her eyes darted from the Professor to Logan, then to the woman in the back, finally back to Xavier, who was now smiling at her. 

"Ororo, Logan. Would you both leave us alone for a few moments," Xavier finally spoke. The two adults looked to each other, then left the room, Ororo pushing Kurt out ahead of them. 

When they were alone, Shay finally let out the breath she didn't realize she'd been holding. They were both quiet as they studied each other, though finally the smile on Xavier's face widened and he asked Shay if she'd like to have a seat. Folding her wings up tight against her body, Shay slumped into the seat Logan had just vacated. 

"Now, what did you want to talk about, Miss…?" Xavier began once Shay was finally seated.

"Shay. Just Shay."

"Alright, Shay. How can I help you?"

Shay swallowed, suddenly thinking how stupid this all was. "Well, um… Ok. Something's been happening to me for the past couple of weeks. When I touch someone, I kinda take their pain away, like I heal them."

"That explains what happened with Kitty earlier today," Xavier said as he folded his hands atop of his desk. 

"Yeah. But I'm kinda old for a new mutation, though it's not like I can change it. But I can't control it either." Shay stopped suddenly, realizing she was rambling. She felt her face blush. "Sorry."

"No, Shay. I want you to tell me everything that's been happening with your new mutation." 

Shay stared at Xavier for a few silent moments, deciding what to do. Now that she was actually in the office with Xavier, this all seemed really stupid. Taking a deep breath, Shay looked down at her hands and began speaking slowly.

"I touched this kid, down in the Alley. He was hurt and I was helping him up, that's all I wanted to do. But when my hand touched him, this bright white light appeared, from my hands and his, where I was touching him."

Shay finally looked up from her open hands, straight at Xavier. "I healed him. The cut on his arm, it was gone. A few hours later, when I was alone, I found that-" and she stopped, trying to figure out what to say next.

Granted, she wanted Xavier's help but he didn't need to know her whole bloody past. Choosing her words carefully, Shay finished her sentence. "I found that an old scar of mine had reopened and was bleeding again, like it had just been cut."

"You developed a wound from the healing?" Xavier asked her.

Shay nodded. "Then with Kitty, I don't know, Professor. I just wanted to wake her up, get her off the street. I put my hand on her face, and just like that, my head started spinning, everything got fuzzy."

Xavier was silent after Shay finished, though it was obvious he was deep in thought. Shay knew he was a powerful telepath, causing her to wonder what that meant he could do. 

"It seems, Shay, that you're beginning to show signs of a weak healing mutation. Weak now, but with practice, you will not manifest the wounds yourself."

"With practice?" 

"Yes."

Shay looked down again, face falling. "I'll get the chalk," she muttered to herself. Xavier opened his mouth to reply, but Shay stood up from her chair. "Thanks, Professor, but I can 'practice' this thing on my own." She was already moving towards the door. "Thank you for speaking with me," she finished as she placed a hand on the doorknob.

"Shay, have you ever been to school?" Xavier's calm voice suddenly coming from nowhere stopped her.

She turned and looked at him, shaking her head.

"If you stay with us, we will help you with this new mutation. You may also attend any classes you wish."

Shay's hand slipped off the knob. "Really?" she asked before she could stop herself.

Xavier smiled. "Yes."

Biting her lip again, Shay moved back towards the desk. In her mind flashed the image of Magneto, his words coming back to her. 

__

"Xavier is not the one you need. He's not a help to mutants, but to our enemies, the humans who hate us. You of all people should know how much this hate hurts."

Was she truly going to get help from Xavier? Was she making the wrong choice in staying at the Institute? But then Shay thought, free room, free meals, free education, free training. Where in the hell was the problem with this scenario? 

__

"I must leave, but I want to tell you that there will be an open spot for you, if Xavier can not help you."

An open spot just in case…

"Ok, I'll stay," Shay said finally, causing Xavier to smile again.

"Good. We'll help you Shay, don't worry."

Shay just continued to smile at him, Magneto's words still echoing in her head.

****

****Notes****

Er, let's see. I just got back from Canada, so I decided to be nice and update this with the next chapter. I still haven't completed the whole story, but I'm almost there. Just a few ending parts and everything will be done. Already working on the sequel and a crossover I'll be doing with Blade later on. Oh yeah, I probably should have just tacked this onto the end of chapter 4, but I'm a spaz and decided to make it it's own chapter. 


	6. A Dangerous Past

****

Somewhere I Belong

Chapter 6

The first few weeks of life at the Institute were slow for Shay. Her first day was jam-packed, first meeting the other kids - she already knew about half of them from the three in the common room her first night, then being tested by Mr. Hank McCoy - an extremely nice man who looked about as normal as Kurt, finally sitting with Xavier to pick out classes she could begin taking the following week. She'd never been to school, but she was relieved to know she wasn't as dumb as she thought. Turned out that all the books Shay had read while with the Morlocks stuck with her. 

They still didn't help with her math skills though, seeing as how she had no clue what Mr. McCoy was trying to teach her, both in class and on the side. Hank, along with Xavier and Ororo, were all helping Shay by tutoring her in the basics. 

So when her time wasn't being spent in class or being tutored, Logan had her and the other older students working in the rightfully named "Danger Room."

The whole room was a machine, programmed to different levels of intensity to kill anyone who entered. Shay had watched the other X-teens face the machine on a fairly regular rotation. Normally they'd go in a group, usually led by Scott, though he was called Cyclopes when in the room. Kurt became Nightcrawler, Kitty was Shadowcat, Evan was Spyke, Logan became Wolverine but Jean and Rogue kept their normal everyday names, Shay didn't know why though. 

She felt no need to make an alias for herself. Shay was one of the last links she had with Callisto and the other Morlocks, and she didn't want to lose that connection.

Shay'd actually been inside the Danger Room, once, and she's almost lost her head three times that day. In one on one sparring, Shay could handle herself perfectly, which wasn't surprising to her, but when there were others around who she also had to keep an eye out for, things got complicated.

On that one occasion, she'd been doing fairly well. Pulling her wings closer to her body, she had tucked under a long tentacle that had been sticking out of the wall about ten feet above her head. As she had straightened, Nightcrawler flashed in beside her and had shouted, "Having fun?"

Shay had been so shocked by the sudden intrusion that the next swing of the tentacle had caught the edge of her shoulder, missing her head by a few inches. It knocked her straight into Nightcrawler, causing them both to hit the ground. The lesson learned: Be ready for anything.

This time though, there was no Danger Room, no mechanical tentacles, and no 'team members' to keep an eye on. The only thing Shay had to concentrate on was her own body and her partner's actions.

Logan stood before the group of teens, arms crossed. His face held a smile, not a normal site on the tough guy's face. "Just a little sparring today," he said in his gruff voice. "Find a partner and work on simple attacks, the less powers used, the better."

Shay stood towards the back, she too with her arms crossed over her chest, watching the X-teens pairing off with friends. She barely knew anyone at the Institute yet, and it was showing as the pairs moved towards the area that had been set up for the sparring. 

From behind her, Shay heard someone approach, but she didn't turn to look. She didn't have to; an all too familiar voice spoke up.

"If you promise not to pull my tail, I won't pull your wings."

A small smile spreading across her face, Shay turned to see Kurt's yellow eyes gleaming at her. "What about my tail?"

"Well, that's up for grabs."

"Ya think you can handle me?"

It was Kurt's turn to smile. "Piece of cake."

Shay laughed this time, and the two found a mat towards the back, standing across from each other.

Kurt's smile never left his face as he crouched down in his normal defensive position. Shay opened her stand, turning her back foot slightly for support. She'd seen Kurt in action against the Danger Room; he was tough. But, then again, he hadn't grown up with a daily routine of keeping himself alive like Shay had.

The others around them had already started, and Shay could hear Logan making his way through the pairs, pointing out loose stances or weak attacks. "Ready?" she asked Kurt as she brought her fist up before her. She kept one low; the other positioned close to her face for protection.

"Yep," Kurt smiled up at her.

Shay shook her head, her smile fading from her face as she concentrated on Kurt's movements. Not wanting to be the first to move, Shay watched Kurt as his body tensed and he moved quickly, bringing a foot up for a straight kick. Shay swung an arm down and blocked it, thrusting her other arm out she hit Kurt in the chest, knocking him back from her. 

With a BAMF, Kurt was gone from Shay's vision, but she heard the second BAMF from behind her, then Kurt's arm was around her waist, hulling her up off her feet. Shay gave a grunt and rocked her weight forward while spreading her wings, throwing Kurt off balance again. Shay dropped to her knees and flipped Kurt over her head. She heard him hit the mat and she sprang back up again. 

"Rogue, watch your stance," Logan pointed at her feet as he passed by. A grunt from the back of the room caused him to look up. Kurt lay on the mat, though he was quickly climbing back to his feet. Shay was waiting above him in the perfect defensive stance. Logan watched her for a second as she rocked back and forth on her feet. 

For Shay, her larger-then-normal, gargoyle-like feet gave her an advantage over her enemies. The stability they provided kept her upright when most would fall. The first few times with her father… It only took the first few times for her to find out.

"Come on Kurtie, let's have it," she teased as she switched feet. 

Kurt laughed as he turned to face her again. "You're quicker then I thought," he smiled. This time he didn't crouch down, but stayed at Shay's level, staring her in the eye. "It's nice to know if you break my back, you can fix it again."

Shay smiled and pushed some of her hair out of her face. "If you say please, maybe." Kurt laughed, then slide around, causing Shay to get a little off balance. Kurt dropped down and spun a leg out, catching Shay's legs. Her gargoyle feet didn't keep her up this time. He swiped them out right from under her, ending with Shay hitting the mat hard on her back. 

The breath whooshed out of her and Shay closed her eyes. Her head was spinning slightly. She felt someone kneeling on top of her. Shay's mind flashed. She remembered back when she was eight and she forgot to clean her room one night. Her father busted into her room and slapped her down, called her a damn freak, and dropped down on her. His fists hit her chest, her stomach, her head…

"Elf! What's going on?" Logan called as he pasted by another pair. He'd watched Kurt swipe Shay to the ground, then dropped down on top her to hold her, but Shay wasn't struggling. 

"I don't know, Logan. I think it knocked the wind out of her." Kurt's eyes showed his worry as he looked between Shay and Logan. 

Her father's breath was warm with the smell of beer. His fists were like rocks, beating against her arms as she tried to protect herself. He wouldn't stop. She cried and screamed, but he wouldn't stop. His weight was crushing her chest, she ached, she shook with fear, but deep down she felt something boiling up inside her, something that was building with every hit, every kick, every slap he'd ever given her. The something was begging to be let out, for her to take out on with everything he'd ever dished out to her. 

It was her rage, her angry, her frustration, everything hateful thing she'd every felt and kept inside of her over the 15 years she'd been beaten and tortured by her so-called father. Unfortunately, for Shay, it was not her father who was perched atop her and also unfortunately for Kurt, he was he and not daddy-dearest.

Logan crouched down next to Shay and Kurt. "Shay," he said loudly. Her eyelids were flickering softly, and every few seconds her face would turn to a grimace. Other then that she was still. 

"Is she going to be ok?" Kurt asked quietly, still crouched above Shay's body. Rogue and Jean joined the small pow-wow around Shay. Most of the other sparring pairs had stopped, but they stayed on their mats, watching from a distance. 

Logan opened his mouth to reply when Shay's eyes popped open, except, her eyes were almost crazed. They darted between Kurt and Logan, but she didn't really see either. To Shay, she saw her father, drunk, blood-shot eyes with a murderous glimpse to them. But this time, she was old enough and tough enough to fight back.

A growl erupted from her and Shay pushed with all her strength at her father above her. He flew back and off her, rolling onto his back. Shay was on her feet in a second, rushing towards him. She began to drop her knee dead center in his chest when suddenly, BAMF, he disappeared. 

Someone else grabbed her from behind, wrapping two strong arms around her, a familiar voice shouting her name in her ear. 

Kurt appeared beside Logan, a little shaken. "Shay, STOP!" Logan shouted again and he released his hold, but kept his hands on her shoulders, turning her around to face him. Her eyes looked straight at him, he realized she finally recognized who he was. 

"Logan," she said. Her mouth opened, but no more words came out. What was happening? Where was her dad? "I- My-," she stammered. 

"Shay, what in the hell is going on?" Logan demanded. Catching his anger, he took a breath. "Are you ok?" he tried again.

Looking past Logan, Shay saw Kurt and it hit her what was going on. She'd been sparring with Kurt and he dropped her, knocking her out for a second. When she came back around, she was cornered, just like in her childhood…

"Oh god, Kurt," Shay said as she took a step back from Logan, his hands falling off her shoulders. "I'm sorry," she said softly, then fled the Danger Room.

Logan and Kurt watched her go, Kurt rubbing his shoulder where Shay had shoved him. 

"What was that, Logan?" Rogue spoke up from the side.

"I don't know Rogue, but I think Shay wasn't in the Danger Room for a second."

****

****Notes****

I can't write a German accent, so it's a good thing y'all already know what it sounds like. Just imagine that's what's coming out of Kurt's mouth, ok? Umm, yeah, Shay's a pretty screwed up kid, could ya tell? This will kinda tie in with other things later, especially with the sequel I've already got started. The next chapter will actually be only a few hours after this all happens, so don't worry. 


	7. There's No Perfect Family

****

Somewhere I Belong

Chapter 7

Shay hide inside her room for the rest of the afternoon. She curled up on her bed; her knees pulled to her chest, staring across the room at the mirror, watching herself, her shiny, magenta eyes reflecting back the eerie light. 

What was wrong with her? Why did she panic like that? She and Kurt had just been goofing around; barely sparring, no real damage had been done. But for that split second she got thrown off, she lost her bearings and she almost hurt Kurt worse then she'd meant to, worse then she's ever WANT to. Kurt was one of the few people at the Institute that had been friendly to her from the beginning.

She had to find him and apologize, there was no question about it. He'd probably be downstairs, either in the kitchen or maybe the common room with some of the other kids. She'd go find him, pull him aside and tell him how sorry she was. Shay just hoped word hadn't spread too far about what had happened. She didn't need anymore pressure on the subject.

Shay climbed off her bed and - just for something to keep her hands busy – grabbed a book off her nightstand. She left the room quickly, fighting the sudden urge to curl up again and sleep away her guilt. Looking around upstairs, she only got a lot of curious stares and she heard a few whispers as she moved downstairs.

From the common room to her right, Shay heard Kitty giggle, then Kurt's warm German accent flowed into the hallway. Taking a deep breath, Shay moved towards the open door and paused in the frame. Kurt was perched on the arm of the couch while Kitty was lying across it, flipping through the TV channels, the only two in the room. They both looked up when Shay entered the room. Kitty's eyes bugged out slightly while Kurt's face brightened into his normal smiling, causing Shay's guilt to melt away.

"Kurt," Shay began, but the blue elf jumped off the arm and walked right over to her. Shay stared at him in the eye as he drew even with her, his yellow eyes reflecting back at her darker ones. She was relieved to see no malice or anger in them, and Shay smiled. "I'm real sorry, Kurt."

"Don't worry about it," Kurt smiled. "I'll just be really ready next time."

Shay could have hugged him at that moment. Kurt was truly one of the sweetest guys she'd ever met which wasn't saying much, since it was between him, her father and some of the Morlocks. Kurt moved back to perch on the arm of the couch and Shay turned one of the straight-back chairs around, straddling the back, giving her wings room to spread out.

Kitty was flipping through the channels again, Kurt periodically making her stop on one show or another, just to tell her to keep going again. Shay watched them for a little while, then opened her book and began reading, only to close it a few minutes later. Kurt and Kitty were just too loud for her to read, though she really wasn't complaining.

"Oh, I love this!" Kitty cried as she stopped the TV on some old family-oriented shows. The kind that only started out with some melodramatic story, a few laugh tracks thrown in, topping it all off with a big group hug at the end. Shay looked at the TV for a second, then opened her book for a third time.

Shay tried to keep her mind on the book, but small sentences from the show kept creeping into her mind. It didn't help that Kitty kept 'awing' and 'ohing' at all the right pauses. 

"There's no perfect family except those on TV," Kitty said suddenly, eyes transfixed on the screen.

"Ain't that the truth," Shay muttered as she flipped another page in her book. She didn't even realize she'd said it out loud until Kitty replied back to her.

"Ya know Shay, I've never heard you talk about your family at all."

Shay's head snapped up and she looked at Kitty. "What?"

"Your family," Kitty said again. Kurt's eyes switched from Kitty to Shay. He silently yelled at Kitty to keep quiet, though his curiosity about Shay had of course been stirred up since the afternoon's activities. 

Kitty watched Shay's whole body language change with those two words. She's pulled her wings closer to her body, sat up a little straighter in her chair, and, although she didn't realize it, Kitty also watched her eyes begin to dart around the room, as though she was expecting something to come jumping out at her.

"Shay?" Kurt said, a worried edge coming to his voice.

"I don't really want to talk about my family," Shay mumbled softly as she looked back down at her book. _Not now, not ever._

"Ok," Kitty replied slowly. She turned and looked at Kurt, who shrugged. 

"I can related," Kurt said, causing Shay too look up at him. "I don't like talking about my mother."

Shay furrowed her brow out of curiosity. "Who's your mum?"

"A woman named Mystique," came Kurt's solemn reply. Shay had never seen him like this. 

"Not a nice person," Kitty commented as she picked up the remote again. 

"Nor a big fan of the X-Men," Kurt added.

Shay watched the two of them for a few seconds, then looked down at her book once again. They hadn't probed any farther for info on her family, so she'd repay the favor and keep her nose out of this Mystique business. But her mind wouldn't return to it's quietness, not now that Kitty had stirred things about her family. The seeds were planted and Shay's mind kept wandering back, diving deeper and deeper into her memories. She felt them falling on her, weighing heavier and heavier on her shoulders. She heard Kitty's laughs as though they were a million miles away, though they pricked at her mind like bee stings.

Closing her eyes, Shay took a deep breath, desperately trying to push away her past, back into the corner of her mind where she hid the crippling memories, but they wouldn't stop. 

They seeped into her thoughts like her blood had seeped down her spine two years ago. Dark crimson had stained her shirt and her silver skin as her father had taken the knife, cursing at her for things she'd never done and-

__

NO! Shay's mind screamed. She jumped up from her seat, quieting Kitty and Kurt for a second before they asked what was wrong. Without answering, Shay fled the room. She raced pass Scott and Jean, who both jumped out of her way and shouted after her. She flew, not literally, out the front doors and down the steps. Continuing across the lawn, finally stopped when her hands touched the bark of a tree.

She sobbed and leapt up to grab the branch above her, pulling herself up and over it. Tears covered her cheeks as she pulled her knees to her chest and hugged them tightly, her wings falling down to either side of the branch. 

Now alone, hidden in the familiar shadows and darkness, away from the light and life of the Institute, Shay's mind gave up the battle against her memories, and everything came flooding back to her. A tidal wave of pain and tears, of lost trust and revenge, of rage and submission, washed every other thought, feeling or sense away, leaving Shay vulnerable and scared. Open wounds and fresh bruises would have been appropriate signs of her mind's torture.

Over an hour later, Shay finally raised her head, back sore from not moving, both legs asleep from lack of blood flow, wings stiff. She ached all over, but none of that measured up to the turmoil in her mind. She felt used all over again. If she let her mind go just a little more, she could remember the feeling of warm blood on her back and chest; she could see the reflection off the knife's steel surface; the murderous rage in her father's eyes.

Climbing slowly down from the branch, Shay's knees almost gave out as her bare feet sunk into the cool grass. She kept her hands on the tree, giving her legs a chance to strengthen. While she waited, she spread her wings, then closed them tightly, feeling the stiffness fade away slowly. 

Her forehead rested on the bark of the tree. She could feel it creasing her skin. In the back of her mind she knew she'd have an odd mark there is she didn't move, but at the moment she didn't really give a damn.

"Fuck you, dad," she whispered to herself. She pulled back from the tree and wiped away the last of her tears. With a sigh, she turned and walked across the yard, absently rubbing her forehead back to normal, just as the sky opened up and cried down on her.

Shay rarely had slips like that. Normally she could control the thoughts and nightmares that had plagued her since early childhood. The worse they became, the more concentration Shay had to use to keep them in check. Sometimes if she sat alone for a little to long, if her mind began to wander, it might just happen upon the little box she kept all this ugliness hidden in. Curious hands wold flick the latch and release everything she had worked so hard to keep locked up.

She'd hide away from all the others, curl up into a little ball, wings wrapped around herself for protection against an unseen monster, and cry out all her fears, anger, and pain, just like today. The only different from all the others times and this one was that this time, she had been watched.

Logan had been sitting on the ledge of an upstairs window, smoking one of his usual cigars, when he'd heard the doors burst open from below him. He'd watched Shay run across the lawn and into the beginning of the woods. Her sobs echoed in his ears, though it faded as she disappeared into the darkness.

He was about to go after her, all the years of working at the Institute coming together to bring his protective side out. He lifted his leg back over the ledge but paused when he realized if it was he who'd left the Institute for a breather, he wouldn't want anyone following him. Her sobs came back to him again though, and he decided this wasn't just a breather. He had to make sure Shay was ok.

Walking down the main stairs, Logan's enhanced ears overheard Kurt, Kitty, Jean and Scott talking in the main common room.

"The Professor won't tell anyone about her. Kurt asks him just about everyday, but he won't say a thing," Kitty's voice bounced out into the hallway.

Logan looked at the front doors for a second, then moved closer to the opening of the common room.

Kurt spoke next, his German accent the easiest to pick out of the four. "Yes. Nobody knows were she comes from."

"What happened just now, Kurt? She came running by us and out the front doors." Scott's voice this time.

"I don't know. We were watching TV and Shay was reading a book. Then she jumps up, runs out the door."

"It was totally weird," Kitty added to Kurt's story.

"Did she say anything?" the last teen in the room, Jean, finally spoke.

"Not when she left. Before we asked about her family and she wouldn't tell us anything," Kurt answered.

"What's with all this mystery over this girl?" Scott remarked suddenly. "Seriously, what's going on around here? I don't even think Ororo or Logan know what's going on. I heard Evan saying something about the Morlocks to Ororo, but she didn't say anything."

"That would make sense, Shay being a Morlock, cause of her physically mutation and all," Kitty's voice piped in. 

"Well, that doesn't mean much, Kitty. I mean, both Evan and Kurt live with us, and they have visible mutations." 

"I know Jean," Scott replied for Kitty. "But up until a few months ago, Shay didn't live here. She had to come from someplace."

"Plus, it's not the same for me," Kurt finally spoke up again. Logan could actually hear the smile in his voice. "I mean, no one can turn down the fuzzy."

Logan heard the teens laugh for a second, then he moved away from the opening and towards the front doors. He'd check on the girl, then find Charles. Something was up and he was going to find out what was so secretive about Shay's past.

****

****Notes****

"No one can turn down the fuzzy." I love Kurt. He's got some of the greatest lines from Evo, plus, how CAN you turn down that fuzziness? So, Logan is FINALLY going to make a little more head-way into the story. He's kinda going to have a much LARGER part in the sequel, if you know what I'm saying. Anyways, you get a better glimpse of Shay's past in this chapter, so hopefully things will start to make sense. I'll tell you a little secret right now, you won't really find out the whole reason why Shay left home until the next story, so y'all will have to wait around until then. ::winks::


	8. With Time

****

Somewhere I Belong

Chapter 8

The air was thick, muggy. Logan could smell the rain he knew was pouring down only a few miles away. Along with the small of rain, Logan could pick of Shay's scent, though it was more then half an hour old. 

He couldn't hear her anymore, but her scent drew a clear line for him to follow into the woods. He moved slowly, trying to stay quiet. All he needed to do was scare her even more. After seeing her sparring with Kurt earlier in the afternoon, he knew she could defend herself. Logan wondered for a moment where she would have learned it.

That's when he heard her soft crying a few feet away. He looked up into one of the larger trees. Towards the bottom of the tree, about five or six feet up was an occupied branch, seeing that Shay was curled up on it, head on her knees, crying softly. 

Logan didn't move any closer. He was actually surprised he'd gotten this close without Shay hearing him. Though not as sensitive as his own, Shay's senses were slightly enhanced, according to Hank's tests. Her eyes, ears or nose should have picked up on Logan long ago. Something was definitely wrong with her.

At that moment, while Logan thought he would have liked to sample a little of Charles' telepathy, Shay finally raised her head. Hurting and weak, she climbed down out of the tree, pausing for a few seconds while she rested. Logan raised an eyebrow at her 'fuck you, dad' and watched her leave, walking slowly back to the house.

What in the hell was that? Logan waited a few minutes to follow her back into the Institute, letting enough time pass to ensure she wouldn't be around. The kid needed privacy, but if something bad was eating away at her, she needed help more.

----------------------

Shay mounted the main staircase slowly, hand gripping the banister tightly. She was relieved no one had been in the foyer when she came in. She really didn't feel like talking to anyone and she was beginning to think she could hear her bed calling to her. Most importantly though, she had to get out of her wet clothes.

Just as she stumbled through the door to her room, she heard someone call her name.

"Hey Shay. You ok?"

She turned slowly and tried to smile at the red-head across the hall. "Yeah Jean, I'm fine. I just needed some alone time."

Jean took a step closer to Shay and looked her straight in the eye, causing Shay to grow a little defensive.

"You've been crying?" Jean said more like a statement then a question.

"It's nothing, ok?" Shay could feel her face darken with embarrassment. No one saw her cry. Crying was weakness. "Just leave me alone, ok?" Shay turned quickly and pushed her door open.

"Shay, wait," Jean said hurriedly. 

Shay paused for a moment in the doorway, though she didn't turn around. "What?"

Jean made a move to touch Shay's shoulder, but stopped, remembering the look on the girl's face when she attacked Kurt. "If you need to talk, I'm right here."

Stepping into the room, Shay turned and looked at Jean. "Whatever you say, Jean Grey." With that, Shay shut the door between the two.

---------------------

"Charles?" Logan knocked on the Professor's door.

__

Come in, Logan, flashed in his mind. He opened the door and stepped inside, closing it behind him.

"What is it, Logan?" Xavier's crisp, British accent came from the wheelchair behind the desk.

"It's Shay," Logan began as he lowered himself into a chair infront of the desk. He sat silent for a few moments, watching Xavier. Logan knew the Professor was, at that very moment, searching the Institute for Shay's mind, making sure she was still safe and sound.

Charles' face darkened for a moment, in concentration, then he looked back to Logan, smiling sadly. "She seems fine, it not a little shaken."

"Shaken about what?" Logan asked quickly. "Kitty and the elf said she jumped up and ran outside about an hour ago, didn't say a word."

Charles continued to watch Logan, never opening his mouth to speak.

"What's going on here, Charles? What scared her this bad?"

"Logan, Shay's past is her own, just as yours is to you. She's facing her demons and unfortunately she will not accept my help. She just needs time."

"Demons? Like her father?"

Charles furrowed his brow, but Logan continued to stare him in the eye.

"Shay's father is probably the main demon, though I'd like to know how you found out about him."

Logan shrugged. "I was worried about the kid so I followed her. She had a few choice words for him."

"You talked to her?"

"No." Logan shook his head. "Overheard."

Charles 'hmmed' and shifted his gaze away from Logan, deep in thought.

"Look Charlie, I know she's probably got a few skeletons hidden for a reason. I just want to know if she's dangerous."

"Dangerous? Oh, no," Charles assured him. "Shay does know how to fight and defend herself, but she'll only use it in defense."

"Defense against what? She coulda killed Kurt today, Charles."

"Granted, she may not be stable yet, but with time-"

"With time she may end up killing someone-"

"With time," Charles stressed, stopping Logan, "she may be able to control her demons, just like you."

Logan let out a defeated sigh for a few seconds and stood up from the chair. "Alright, Charles, but I'm going to keep my eye on her."

"Please do, Logan. If she has another episode like today, you'll let me know, won't you?"

"Yeah," he grunted as he left. Only after the door had shut did Logan realize Xavier hadn't answered any of his questions.

****

****Notes****

So, you get a little view from Logan here. I like Charlie. He's a cool guy. Taking in mutants when everyone else would heave a stone at 'em rather then look at 'em. Plus, he's got the coolest eyebrows in the old cartoons. I mean, jeez, those eyebrows defy the laws of physics, shooting up like that. It's crazy. The next part will be really important, so don't miss it, ok? It finally gets the ACTUAL plot moving. Yahoo for plots!


	9. Odd Fascination With Trust

****

Somewhere I Belong

Chapter 9

Alton Lanson walked slowly through the Tyler Brown Memorial Park, only twenty minutes away from Xavier's Institute. It was almost 11:30 as Alton shoved his hands in his pockets to keep them warm, turning down the same path for the third time.

The man was late. Alton never would have agreed to met this late at night so far away from the city, but Dominic had insisted the man was good for it. Dominic Jean-Pierre, the newest member to his little company, knew the mystery man personally, though Alton hadn't decided is that was a good thing or not. 

Erik Lehnsherr was the man he was to meet, alias Magneto, one of the most dangerous mutants alive. Alton Lanson & Company were a group of rag-tag post-CIA agents who now hired themselves out for odd jobs, mostly leaning towards the wrong-side of the law. Alton had to loyalties and he didn't recruit any one who did. They were the perfect group for Magneto, Dominic had said.

"Yeah, and where the hell is Dominic right now?" he asked himself as he pulled his coat tighter. Dominic had only been working with Alton for a few weeks. One of the stranger ones, Dominic always wore a pair of dark sunglasses whenever Alton saw him. Not sure what Dominic was hiding, Alton never asked. On the younger side of the normal members of the group, Dominic had proven himself to be tough in even tougher situations. Alton had no idea how he did it.

Three days ago the kid had come busting into his office, shouting about some great new case, big pay off, extreme action if things worked out. Alton had listened, promising to meet his Magneto.

Now he was frozen stiff, wandering around this park, half a million things on his mind he could be doing. He was going to chew Dominic's ass out when he got back to the office. 

"Mr. Lanson," a voice said from Alton's back, causing him to jump.

"Jesus," Alton cried as he turned to find a man behind him. Alton had to bit his lip to keep from laughing at the guy. He wore an odd helmet, cape, tight suit, all in red or purple. 

__

What in the hell has Dominic gotten me into?, Alton thought as he shoved his hands back into his pockets. "Mr. Lehnsherr."

He smiled. "Magneto."

"Magnetos," Alton repeated, "right. So what can I do for you, Magneto?"

"Well, Mr. Lanson, I have a job for your company," he stressed the last word. "There's a girl I need, and I want you to get her for me."

Alton frowned. "A girl? I've never done a kidnapping, don't think I'm going to start for a mutant."

"No?" Magneto smiled. He raised a hand and made a motion, like a sign.

Suddenly, Dominic walked out from behind a bush, a suitcase in hand.

"What the hell are you doing here?" Alton's eyes were wide with surprise, but he stopped when he noticed something odd. Dominic wasn't wearing his normal sunglasses. He wasn't wearing anything to cover his eyes, which Alton could now see were bright red in color. "Holy shit," Alton whispered. Before he could say anything, the so-called 'Dominic' popped open the suitcase.

"Holy shit," Alton repeated as he stared at all the money in the case.

"Not even for a mutant with 3 million dollars?"

Alton's mouth fell open. "3 million… for one girl?"

'Dominic' snapped the case shut, then turned the handle towards Alton.

Thinking quickly, Alton looked up at Magneto. "What's the catch?"

"Catch, Mr. Lanson?"

"Yeah, the catch. This deal is too perfect. A cool 3 million for one little girl?"

"Well, I assure you there is no catch, though she's not a little girl. She's 18."

Alton shrugged. "That's not bad."

Magneto raised an eyebrow. "She's also a student at Xavier's School for the Gifted."

"Xavier's?" Recognition dawned on Alton's face. "You want me to kidnap one of Xavier's mutants?"

Magneto continued to stare at him. Alton looked between Magneto and 'Dominic' "This is crazy," Alton said with a nervous laugh.

"C'est t'ree million dollars, mon ami," Dominic smiled.

Alton shot him a look. He couldn't believe he'd been fooled by this guy. He was barely out of his teens. Alton never should have hired him.

"Who are you?" Alton asked him.

The kid gave a small bow, a real show-man. "Name's Gambit."

"Gambit," Alton repeated, slightly flabbergasted. He sighed and looked at the case. 

After a quiet minutes, Alton nodded his head. "Ok, we'll do it." At that, Gambit handed the case over to Alton. He was surprised by how heavy 3 million dollars was. He smiled to himself, but frowned at Magneto. "I'll need a picture and through dossier on this girl. A layout of Xavier's would be handy, but if you can't get it, I can."

Alton took a step back, then stopped. "One more thing." He pointed at Gambit. "You're out of my company, son. If I ever see you again, I'll kill ya." With that, Alton turned and walked away, 3 million dollars in his hands.

Magneto watched him walk away, finally noticing Gambit beside him. "Keep an eye on him, Gambit."

The Cajun nodded, then cleared his throat, watching Magneto. "Gambit don' get it. Why send dis guy t'get de fille when -"

"When I could use you?" Magneto finished for him, smiling. He began walking away from the meeting spot, Gambit slightly behind him. "The girl has an odd fascination with trust. I doubt she will be willing to stay and help us if we are the ones to kidnap her from Xavier.

"Instead, we'll leave that to Mr. Lanson. While Xavier tries to find her with Cerebro, we will know exactly where she is, and will be the ones to help the poor thing." The smile on his face was just plain devious. 

Gambit furrowed his brow and followed behind Magneto, still not convinced this was the best plan. Who's to say they could trust this Alton Lanson anyways?

****

****Notes****

Gotta give thanks real quick to Amy Michelle [ff.net: dark_english_rose] for helping with the Cajun's accent. The one I had written was horrible, and she was kinda enough to change a few things for me. Also, I needed to add that whatever happens in the new episodes of Evo won't affect this story, seeing as how I finally got it finished. Meaning, if Gambit becomes good on the cartoon, he'll still be evil, for the moment, in this story. 


	10. A Second Chance

****

Somewhere I Belong

Chapter 10

Shay's head dropped lower on her hand as she stared at the Chemistry book before her. Next to that was a dictionary.

"Wait, Mr. McCoy, I don't-" she sighed and looked up at the big, blue beast before her.

Hank McCoy, alias Beast, pulled hack from the computer he was staring at to look at Shay. "Ya know, Shay. That can wait till Monday," he tried to smile at her.

Shay looked back down at the book. "I haven't got anything better to do," she said softly, but not soft enough for Hank to miss.

"I believe Kurt and Jamie are down with Logan in the Danger Room. Why not go run around for awhile?"

Biting her lip, Shay suddenly picked up her books and pulled them to her chest. "Nevermind. I'll go study in my room." She moved to leave when Hank stopped her.

"Logan said you've missed the last two lessons."

Hank heard her sigh loudly. Her shoulders slumped forward slightly, her whole stance echoing an almost defeated figure. 

Shay had the sudden urge to tell someone something, anything, whatever it took to relieve all the shit she was feeling and Hank was more like a semi-father to her anyways.

"I just don't want to hurt anybody again."

Hank leaned back in his chair. "Any of us are willing to listen to you at anytime, Shay. Me, Ororo, Logan. I know the Professor has told you-."

Shay turned around, a sad smile on her face. "I don't think anyone wants to hear about my fucked-up problems." Hank raised an eyebrow at her language. "Sorry," Shay muttered.

Pulling her books tighter against her chest, Shay took another step back, towards the door. "I'll see ya later, Mr. McCoy." She left Hank alone in the lab, staring at the empty door.

A few minutes after Shay left the lab, Logan walked in from the same door. Hank had turned back to his computer and was pecking away at the keys when Logan appeared. Hank didn't even notice him until Logan leaned against the table beside him. When he finally did, Hank looked up at him. "How was the Danger Room?"

Logan gave a grunt. "Jamie tripped and it got too crowded for me and Kurt. We'll try it again tomorrow."

Hank smiled slightly and looked back at the computer screen, though he watched Logan out of the corner of his eye as he spoke next. "I just had a talk with Shay."

Looking over at Hank, Logan crossed his arms. "Did you tell if she misses another training session she's going to be in real trouble?"

"I think she's already in real trouble, Logan." Hank pushed himself back a little ways from the desk, turning to face Logan. "I heard about the last time she was training, with Kurt. Sounds as though she confused Kurt with her father, or that's what Charles believes."

"What's Chuck got to say about this?" Logan demanded.

"You know Charles. He believes Shay's privacy is most important, though he's reassured me she's sound."

"I doubt that," Logan muttered as he looked away from Hank.

Hank smiled. "Pot calling the kettle black?" He looked back at his computer and typed a short sequence before looking back at Logan. "She's young and in a new place, Logan. Give her time to grow comfortable with all of us. Not everyone comes easily."

"She's not that young and I really don't like all the hush-hush about her past. Does Charles know he's putting some of these kids in risk?"

Hank sighed and shook his head at the other man's argument. Trust Logan to be untrusting. "Logan, you could always give her another chance. Though, that would be hard, seeing she won't go near the Danger Room."

"Another chance, huh?" Logan repeated, giving Hank a skeptic look. "And if she phases out and attacks another kid like she did Kurt?"

Hank shook his head. "Don't put her in the same position. You know she won't even step into the Danger Room's door if there are others in there. Try something one-on-one first."

Logan stared at the floor for a few quiet seconds, thinking it all over. The kid did deserve a second chance. Hell, he knew he'd used a few second chances himself and he'd be able to handle her attacks. 

Letting out a sigh, Logan stood up straight. "What the hell. If she's up for it, I'll help her get over whatever this is."

A smile lightened Hank's face. "I'm sure she'll appreciate it. Maybe it'll help her start to trust a few of us around here."

"She doesn't seem to have a problem trusting the elf," Logan answered, walking towards the exit of the lab. "Kurt won't stop worrying about her."

"Worrying about what?" Hank turned in his chair, watching Logan stop in the doorway and look back over his shoulder.

"Not real sure, Hank. He's probably just picking up on everything that's been going around about the girl."

---------------------

A few miles away from Xavier's School, Remy LeBeau, better known as Gambit, peered over the edge of the window, watching Alton Lanson sitting at his desk, phone in hand. It had been two weeks since Alton got his pay off and after the plans and dossier had been delivered, and the ex-CIA agent had barely left the office.

For the past two hours, Alton had been on the phone, talking nonstop and Gambit wasn't sure who was on the other end.

With a sigh, Gambit dropped back down, gaze shifting around the grounds, barely lit by the moon. This was not Gambit's idea of a fun. Not one to normally take orders, watching some guy chit-chat on the phone for two hours was almost torture.

While Gambit sat outside in the cold, Alton leaned forward in his chair.

"I'm not shitting you. She can actually heal people… How? I don't know how. She's a damn mutant… You can do whatever kind of bloody tests you want." Alton flipped a page in Shay's dossier. "My boys will deliver her to you, but not all the way and you have to keep the location secret. … Cause they have other mutants that read minds. … Yeah, yeah. … What? No, she's not dangerous and even if she is, you guys drugs to keep her out of it. … Good, good. Now price… Are you kidding me? … Yeah, ok. … Next week? That's not a lot of warning, but we can do it. "

Saying he'd call with final arraignments, Alton hung up the phone. He smiled to himself as he slipped a few documents into an empty manila folder, then he placed the folder into a briefcase, much like the one Magneto had given him.

****Notes**** 

None really, I just like bugging you guys.


	11. One on One

****

Somewhere I Belong

Chapter 11

A few days after his talk with Hank, Logan finally found time to hunt Shay down and confront her about the missing Danger Room lessons and a way to make them up. She wasn't the easiest mutant to find though, seeing it took him an hour to track her down, with all the mixed scents and hallways in the mansion. 

She turned up in the back of the Institute's insanely large library, trying to find some quiet. 

"Shay, can we talk for a second?" Logan asked as he stepped up behind the girl. 

She looked up from her book, then turned in her seat, ending up sideways on it, staring at Logan. "Bout what?" 

Logan moved around the table and sat down across from her, leaning it back on its two back legs, a normal habit of his. "You know about what."

Shay sighed and looked down at the ground, still seated to the side on her chair. Logan stared at her profile for a few seconds, noticing for the first time how her lips pouted out slightly, giving a 'just-hold-me' feel. Realizing what it was he was actually thinking, Logan shook his head, trying to get the thought of his mind. Instead, he cleared his throat. "Shay?"

She finally looked over at him. "Yeah, I know. The lessons," she said simply. She gave a small sigh and bit her lip. "I talked with the Professor about dropping the class."

Logan's brow furrowed. "Dropping it? Look, Shay, no matter how you look at this, you're going to have to get back in the Danger Room, no matter how scared of it you are." She opened to mouth to protest, especially the 'scared' part, but he stopped her with a raised hand. "If you're an X-Men, you're gonna have to practice in there more then you'll like."

"And if I don't want to be an X-Men?" Shay asked, a little too much hostility entering her voice. 

Logan's face showed his shock. He hadn't expected that, though it made sense. The kid only came to the Institute because her mutation was getting out of hand, why would she join the team in the end? In a few months, Hank would have all the answers she could want, and she'd be done with Xavier's School for the Gifted.

"Well, if that's what you want, drop the class," Logan said gruffly, setting the chair back on all fours and standing up. 

Shay watched him the whole time, trying to figure out what in the hell he was getting so upset over this. What did it matter to Logan if she was a joined the X-Men or not? She was first and foremost a Morlock. She'd always thought she'd end up going back to Callisto, hopefully, if the other mutant wasn't still angry with her for leaving.

Join the X-Men? That was definitely a strange thought, one that had never even crossed her mind, though now it was making her confused, more so then normal. But that wasn't really the issue at hand. That was Logan and the Danger Room.

"Logan," Shay said softly, making the man stop as he began to pass by her, heading back out of the library. "What about the Danger Room?" 

Silently staring back at her, Logan took a second to keep his frustration in check, also trying to figure out why he was getting so upset over all this. Finally, he spoke, his tone a lot gentler then before. "One-on-one, you and me, no one else."

"No one else?" Shay repeated. No one for her to hurt, well except for Logan, though he wasn't one of her favorite people anyways.

Logan nodded his head. "We'll ease you back to the Danger Room, though, Shay," and he looked her straight in the eye. "Another incident like the last time, you have to promise to talk with Charles."

Shay shot him a look. "You had me up till the end. Why do I have to talk with the Prof?"

"Cause, it'll help, trust me."

Shay looked back down at the ground. The day she started trusting Logan was the day she hugged her father. "Sorry, Logan. But I can live without the Danger Room and I'm sure as hell it can live without me."

Shay didn't see it, but Logan's hands clenched into fists and he shook his head. Without another word, he left the library.

Turning the right way in her seat, Shay closed her book, then dropped her forehead to the tabletop, taking a deep breath. What in the hell was going on with Logan?

----------------------------

"Ok, that's enough," Logan shouted over the heads of everyone in the Danger Room. Above them, Hank flicked a few switches and the mechanical tentacles and lasers stopped abruptly, causing the kids in the room to sigh with relief. 

"Ow, Kurt! You just smacked me!" Kitty's voice whined from the pack of the room. 

"Sorry," Kurt smiled sheepishly.

__

No Shay, Logan thought as he watched the kids leave the room slowly, most heading for their rooms to shower and change after the training. Evan picked up his skateboard and left the room, half laughing at Kurt, half shouting that he'd be out front.

Logan looked up at the dome in the ceiling, the control center for the Danger Room and could hear the hum of the elevator as Hank descended to the ground floor again. Other then that and the soft 'tick' of the machinery behind the walls, the Danger Room was quiet, a vast change over a few minutes ago.

From out in the hall, Logan's enhanced ears picked up the soft thud of footsteps as someone made their way towards the Danger Room. Turning towards the door, Logan laced his arms over each other across his chest and waited for whoever it was. Catching a very familiar scent, he knew it was Shay a split second before her body appeared in the doorway.

"You're late," Logan frowned at her. 

Shay crossed her arms over her own chest, leaning against the doorframe of the room. She didn't retort with an answer, her eyes locked on his. Logan's arms dropped to his side. "What do you want, Shay?"

"Your offer still stand?" her voice echoed softly in the empty room.

Logan's lips twitched slightly, a smile almost appearing. "Yeah."

Shay nodded her head and moved farther into the room. Her eyes finally left Logan's and moved around the large, empty room. With the training program inactive, the room resembled a large gymnasium, minus basketball backboards and foul lines.

For the past few days, she'd been thinking about Logan's offer of a one-on-one training session. One half of her kept saying there was no need to accept Logan's deal. The Danger Room was not a necessity in her life at the moment. She knew how to defend herself and how to inflict quite a bit of pain on anyone who had the balls to attack her, so why push things?

And the other half of her kept saying 'What the hell?,' and she couldn't help but see the common sense in that. Why in the hell didn't she take his advice and face her fears? If she didn't get control of herself, her actions, she was never going to be safe around others. 

Obviously, the latter half won out.

Shay followed Logan over to the back corner of the Danger Room where a few mats were strewn across the floor. Picking one at random, Logan moved across from Shay and waited for her to ready herself for the fight.

Shay brought her fists up in front of her, her eyes never leaving Logan's. She wouldn't lose control. If this demon inside of her couldn't be controlled, no one around her would be safe. Plus, she had to show Logan that he was wrong. She was going to stay cool and kick his ass at the same time.

Across the mat, Logan watched Shay ready herself. Her body would tense for a second, then relax. Over and over, Shay worked all her senses, getting them ready for the attack.

Logan shook his head, then spread his feet, steadying his stance. "Ready?"

Shay nodded, tipping herself up on her toes, then down again. "Ready."

Logan waited a second, then with a soft growl, swung carefully, but forcefully, at Shay. She dropped down under the arm, but shot off her feet, shoving her shoulder into Logan's chest.

With his feet apart, Logan stayed up, that was until Shay swiped her foot under him, sending him to the ground.

He was up again, much faster then Shay had anticipated, surprising her by the arm that wrapped itself around her waist, spinning her around. She ducked before Logan could get his other hand near her neck, and forced all her body weight away from him, breaking his grip.

As quick as she could, Shay crouched down, then sprang straight up, kicking out her foot. It connected with the middle of Logan's chest. She made a mistake though, and didn't bring her foot back in fast enough, since Logan grabbed it and pulled her down to the ground with him.

Landing atop him, Shay took it to her advantage, pinning his arms and legs to the mat as best she could. It wasn't too easy, seeing as how her hands were shaking badly. She took a deep breath, trying to calm her nerves. At least she was still, mentally, in the Danger Room, still fighting Logan.

Staring down at him, Shay couldn't help but see a small amount of warmth concealed in the harsh blue gaze. Suddenly, the thought of why Logan had gone to all this trouble popped into her mind, distracting her.

That split second of Shay's absent-mindedness was Logan's best shot of breaking her hold. Even though Shay was thin, she still held quite a bit of strength hidden within her. As she still stared at him, Logan rotated his shoulders, rolling the pair over, so Shay's hold on him turned to his hold on her.

Shay gave a small cry as she felt a wing get bent up under her. The jolt of pain made her grimace, and she got an idea.

Logan heard her cry and lifted himself slightly off her, not wanting to put the girl in pain. It seemed a little late though, as he saw a few lit tears spring up in her eyes.

Pulling himself even farther off Shay, he put a hand on her shoulder. "You okay?"

A sly smile spread across Shay's face, her tears vanishing. "Perfect." With that, she drew her knees up in the small space between the two and kicked Logan in the chest, knocking him back to the mat.

Shay crawled to her feet, a dull ache still coming from her wing. She watched Logan do the same, though she doubted he was in any pain, except for his ego. Damn self-healing.

"Cheap trick," Logan growled from a few feet away.

Shay smiled again. "Worked though."

"But it wouldn't in a real fight."

Shay's smiled faded. "Yeah, I know," she muttered as she moved towards the door.

"I'll take that to mean we're done?" Logan called after her as she neared the door. "Hey, kid!" he tried again to get her attention. It worked, seeing as she turned and looked back at him. "Nice job," Logan said simply.

Shay swallowed, staring at Logan, his 'nice job' echoing in the room. "Thanks," she finally replied, turning and walking through the door.

****

****Notes****

Yeah, this chapter ought to make my friend Ginny happy. She's all about hooking up OC's and other characters, lol. I can't promise anything for this story though. I'm just letting things flow.


	12. When She's Gone

****

Somewhere I Belong

Chapter 12

The next few days, Shay began to loosen up again, which wasn't saying much, since she wasn't very loose in the first place. She wasn't the first to volunteer during the session in the Danger Room, but she didn't skip them either. She stayed in the back, like normal, though usually Kurt, Jean, Rogue and Kitty were with her. 

She stayed down in the lab with Hank more often, as her studies began to pick up the pace and she found a new fascination with the computers. Hank helped her learn a few basic commands and she helped him file test results and research. 

To Shay, Hank quickly became more of a father figure for her, though her wall never truly faded away. She talked with him about her schoolwork, and the other students in school, but she never talked about the two things that were most on her mind or troubled her the most: Her father and Logan.

Ever since that day in the Danger Room with Logan, after looking into his eyes, Shay didn't feel the same around the older mutant. Something was different, though she wasn't really sure what in the hell it was. She chalked it up to hormones and tried to not stare at him in the Danger Room or anywhere else in the school. It was just a stupid crush, because he spent the time to help her, and she'd get over it.

Her family never came up in any discussions, and she figured the Professor had some work in that. Even the other students stopped asking about her past eventually, though that was probably because of the deathly stares they got when they did asked. Her nightmares were beginning to get less frequent and with a new hope, Shay prayed that they may go away one day.

Life at the Institute quickly feel into a general routine, filled with tutoring, classes, training and, for Shay, long flights in the morning, afternoon, evening and any other time she could squeeze in. This, she quickly learned, was one large benefit from her move from the Alley to Xavier's. With his large land, Shay could fly in the open as long as she wanted, without the fear of being seen. Her favorite was to climb up the side of the Institute, her clawed hands and gargoyle feet coming in very useful here, and soar off the high tower. 

Her longest times were normally spent at night though, seeing as how this was what she was most used to. The bright sun normally bothered her eyes, but at night, she had the cool, clean moon to guide her path through the sky, one she knew all to well. Strong winds blew the short hair out of her face, whipping it against her neck and pointed ears. The common roar blocking out any other sounds, leaving her feeling completely alone and at peace.

As the sun fell behind the trees one night, Shay stretched out her wings while sitting next to Kurt on the couch in the main common room. She smiled and apologized as he quickly moved to the side, her wing just clipping the side of his face. 

"You going out for awhile," Kurt checked as Shay climbed to her feet, flipping the cover of her book over after dog-earing a page.

"Yeah, just for awhile. I got some more studying to do, or McCoy is going to kill me," she winked at him, tugging at her watch, making sure it was tightly clasped. "See ya later, Kurt."

He nodded his head towards her and looked back at the book in his hands as he heard her move out of the room and into the main foyer. Shay passed Kitty, who was coming back into the mansion, a laptop in her hand, resting against her hip.

"Hey, Shay," Kitty said as they passed one another. 

Shay smiled and kept going. She grabbed the door just before it shut and pulled it back open, stepping out into the cool evening. A few stars were already beginning to sparkle above her, the moon just rising above the top of the mansion, the sky still a little purplish in the western sky. 

Beating her wings softly, Shay turned back to the side of the mansion, where a large down-spout was connected to the wall. Giving a quick look around, Shay grabbed a hold of the pipe with one hand and with the other hand she dug her claws into the wall, and began pulling herself up the side of the mansion.

She made quick work of it, getting stuck on one of the ledges that cut its way around the building. She sat the on the edge of it for a few moments, staring down at the ground, twenty feet below her. Logan walked out the front doors and turned, heading towards the garage of the Institute. Shay watched him for a few seconds, wondering to herself if he'd ever taken the time to just quietly listen to the night, but shook her head and turned back to the task at hand, which was to get to the roof.

Two minutes later, her reward was a sky full of stars and a pretty decent breeze, ruffling her hair as she stared at the trees in the distance. Dark and a little forbidding, Shay was reminded of scary stories of creepy goblins and moaning ghosts that she'd read while with the Morlocks. She'd always wondered about those stories. Everyone would tell her they weren't real, all made up, but what was so hard to believe about them? Her she was, a mutant with silver skin and gargoyle wings. Who was she to say there were no ghosts or goblins in the darker parts of the world. Anything should be possible.

----------------------------

"My men will have her soon. … In the next two hours, I should hope. … No, no. I didn't mean hope. I know they'll have her in the next two hours, so your people had better be ready," Alton smiled into the phone, staring at a shiny, black briefcase open on his desk. 1 and a half million dollars smiled back at him, crisp and fresh, thanks to a few certain individuals who were also interested in Magneto's mutant.

He swiveled his chair around, facing the windows behind him, propping his feet up on the ledge. "Yes, yes. I've told them. … Yes, she'll be bound and wearing the helmet, they won't forget that. … Yes," he smiled, "good doing business with you too." With that, he clicked the phone off and looked at the darkening sky. 

The girl always flew at night. For the past two weeks, every night the team had seen her in the sky, the perfect time to capture her. Sure he'd left no room for mistakes, Alton couldn't help but smile simply to himself. But that smile faded when heard a creak from behind him.

Turning swiftly, Alton's eye widened when he saw Gambit leaning against the doorframe of his office. "What the fuck do you think you're doing here?" Alton said through gritted teeth. His threat from his last meeting with the boy rang in his head, causing Alton to stand up from his chair, leaning slightly on the desk before him.

Gambit's sly smile appeared, something he would come to be known for and took a step into the office, looking around for any objects that might come in hand, if need be. "Jus' keepin' an eye on y'. What were y'talkin' 'bout on de phone, mon ami?"

Alton's face flushed with anger. The kid knew what was going on, he was just trying to egg Alton on, and doing a pretty damn good job of it. "Get out of here, or I'll kill you."

His face filling with mock sadness, Gambit pulled out a pack of playing cards, shuffling them between his two hands. "I t'ought we were friends. Y'really goin' t'kill one of y'friends?" 

"Kid, I'm warning you."

It seemed to be what Gambit was waiting for. Staring at Alton, Gambit lifted one of the cards in front of his face, held lightly between two fingers. Right before Alton's eyes, the card began to glow a bright red, casting the eerie light back on the kid's face.

Suddenly, to Alton's shock and dismay, Gambit threw the card right at the desk, which automatically exploded, as though the card had been the world smallest pack of dynamite. Alton jumped to the side and feel, flames licking his arms and chest. 

Gambit appeared over him, who crouched down and grabbed the singed front of his shirt, hulling him up slightly. "What are dey doing wit' de fille?"

Alton struggled to get lose, but Gambit's hold only tightened. "They're doing what Magneto wants."

"Gambit don' believe y'," Remy smiled down at him and with one hand, drew out another card.

Alton's eyes were the size of teacups this time and his mouth dropped open. "It's the truth!" he shouted at Gambit.

"Mon ami, I know y'lying an' I'll prove it t'y'." Gambit charged the card with the same red energy he did last time and held it very, very close to Alton's face.

"No! Ok, ok. My men are still grabbing the girl, but not delivering her to Magneto but to some other people."

"Who?" Gambit pulled the card back slightly, so he could see Alton's eyes again. "Who?!"

"A few doctors from a testing facility. I don't know where, I told them to keep it secret. They've… they've got a helmet, like Magneto's. When she's gone, no one will be able to find her."

Gambit stared at Alton a few more seconds, weighing the man's words. Then he finally released the front of Alton's shirt and stood, charged card still in hand. "T'anks f'y'help, mon ami." He turned and left Alton alone on the floor, trying to catch his breath. 

As Gambit turned out of the doorway, down the long hall, he pitched the card into the office, the following explosion destroying everything and everyone inside the room.

****

****Notes****

As normal, all credit for the Cajun-ness in this chapter goes to Amy Michelle [dark_english_rose]. The rest of the story goes by pretty quick, though lucky for me, I've already got a plot for a sequel and already began working on it. I just hope you guys like the ending to this enough to read the next one.


	13. Unlucky Number 13

****

Somewhere I Belong

Chapter 13

With a sigh, Shay stood up from her little nest atop the mansion and stepped up to the edge of the roof. Without looking down, she spread her wings as far as possible, then leapt off the edge, her wings catching the air and pulling her back up from the ground. The slow beating of her wings almost matched up with her heart, giving her a smooth rhythm to follow. 

When Shay neared the tops of the trees, she pivoted her shoulder back, so the wind pushed her up higher, just clearing the treetops. Almost directly under her was Alton's team, dressed in fatigues, they were crouched down, watching the sky above them with night-vision binoculars.

One of the men made a motion, signaling he'd seen the girl, and other person, a girl this time, crept up beside him, a small rifle in her arms. She quickly set it up on the ground, positioning herself behind the scope. She pressed her eye to the mini-scope and searched the area the man and pointed towards.

Overheard, Shay turned, heading back towards the Institute. She'd given her homework another thought. She'd work a little more, then maybe head down to the lab to help Hank some more. Something about the night, it was getting to her. She felt a shiver run up her spine, as though she was suddenly afraid of the sky, but that was ridiculous. 

Suddenly, a pain erupted in her side and Shay gave a startled shriek, her hands automatically moving to her side. An echoing sound of a blast reached her ears a moment later, scaring her ever more. Her balance was thrown completely off, and she felt her body twist, her wings folding up. 

"No!" she screamed as she tried to right herself again, but the pain, it was fogging up her mind. She flipped her body again, her wings opening the best they could, but it wasn't enough, they only slowed her fall to the earth below.

----------------------------

Back at the mansion, Logan was dropping a greasy wrench back into a bucket when he heard the shot. He automatically crouched down defensively, but then he realized the sound had come from far off, possibly the woods or even farther. Shay's sudden shriek that followed it up pierced his heart, but confused his mind. What in the hell was going on?

----------------------------

Shay's body hit the ground pretty hard, since she'd fall from more then 30 feet up. Oddly enough though, the forest floor that she landed on was cushioned, but she had no time to wonder about it. When she hit, her head slammed into the ground, knocking her out. 

From out of the bushes and trees around her, Alton's crew moved in, one holding ropes, another holding chains and one caring a very odd helmet. They first tied Shay's arms behind her back, her wings too, keeping them tight to her body. Her feet were next, followed by the chains that doubled up the ropes. Finally, the man with the helmet stepped forward and slipped it onto Shay's head. If she'd been awake and able to see herself, the helmet would look very familiar, reminding her of a certain mutant she saw only once, in an alley many months ago.

----------------------------

As Logan jogged out of the garage, he passed Kurt, who had been coming to fetch him for Xavier. "Get back inside, elf. Tell Charles there have been shots."

Kurt's face screwed up in confusion. "Shots?"

Logan threw him a look as he made his way towards the woods. "Yeah, like the one a gun would make. Now, move it!"

With a quick BAMF, Kurt was gone and Logan sprinted across the open field of the mansion's back yard.

----------------------------

One of the men hulled Shay up onto his shoulder and moved towards a black van parked in the shadows of the trees. The others around him began rolling up the thick mats they had spread throughout the small area of the woods, pulling up more then thirty of the black mats. They shoved them into the back of the van, then the man climbed in after them, finally dropping Shay's unconscious form atop the padding.

"Let's get the hell out of here," the lead man called through a small window in the panel between the back of the van and the cab. The engine roared to life and headlights flicked on.

----------------------------

Logan sniffed the air, still trying to catch Shay's scent. He headed farther into the woods, eyes flicking around the dark trees and shrubs. With a soft SNIKT, Logan entered a dark patch, finally catching a drift of the familiar scent. From his right, he heard a rustle, then two voices.

As he approached, the slam of a door quickened his pace. Just as he entered a small clearing, a large black van pulled through an opening across the way. Shay's scent was concentrated around this spot, and Logan could make a guess on where she was now.

With a growl, Logan sprinted after the van, though after a few feet, the woods cleared and the van hit open road. All Logan could do was watched the red lights disappear down the road.

Taking a few seconds to decide what to do next, Logan turned back to the woods and began jogging back to the mansion. When he re-entered the clearing, Logan took a few seconds to look around, see what he could find.

Shay's scent was beginning to fade, along with two other scent. Oddly though, there was a fresh trail leading across the grass. It started to Logan's right and moved to his left, disappearing into a few bushes.

Moving towards the bushes, Logan lifted a hand, three deadly blades point towards the shrub. Whatever or whoever it was in that shrub didn't have much time to live. Or, at least, they wouldn't have, if they hadn't suddenly stood up, a glowing card in hand.

"Hey, mon ami, Gambit don' mean any harm," the kid said, staring at Logan. 

Not missing a beat, Logan stepped right through the bushes and grabbed the front of the kid's shirt, pulling his feet slightly off the floor. "Who the hell are you?" he roared in the kid's face, causing the younger mutant to flinch slightly.

"De name's Gambit," the Cajun muttered, pulling his shirt free from Logan's grasp and taking a step back from him.

Logan's eyes narrowed. "What's happened to Shay?"

Gambit's eyes returned the same spitful look. "Gambit don' know."

A BAMF announced Kurt's arrival, followed closely by a loud southern "Logan!", a trademark of Rogue. The two appeared from behind a few trees, both pausing when they saw Logan and Gambit standing a few feet away.

"What's he doin' here?" Rogue asked as she motioned towards Gambit.

Logan looked at Gambit, waiting for an answer to his and Rogue's question, but the Cajun didn't show any sign of answering. Logan growled slightly, and SNIKT, held three very sharp blades to the boy's neck. 

Rogue's gloved hands on his shoulder stopped him from doing any actual harm to Gambit though, as she quietly said Logan's name. "Come on, Logan. Let's just get him to the Professor."

Kurt stepped up and grabbed both Gambit and Logan's shoulder, and with a BAMF, the three of them stood in the foyer of Xavier's School. Kurt BAMFed away to get Rogue as Logan pulled Gambit down a hall, throwing him into a large room at the end. There was a table and two chairs on either side of it, but the rest of the room was bare. 

"You move, you die. Got it kid?" Logan growled fiercely as he turned to leave the room, slamming the door loudly.

"Does Remy really have a choice?" Gambit thought outloud as he slide into one of the chairs.

****

****Notes****

Oh man, have you guys been watching Evo?! The new episodes so rock! I love Apocalypse. He was my favorite villain in the old cartoons/comics. Anyways, I've been watching 'em like a fool and am very happy the Cajun has been getting a bigger part, though I still think he and Colossus need to break away from Magneto and join the Xers. I mean serious, they work on the side of good, not evil! Thanks again to Amy Michelle [dark_english_rose] for translating the Cajun's words.


	14. Still Red Blood

****

Somewhere I Belong

Chapter 14

Almost twenty minutes later found the Cajun still seated at the table, shuffling his cards silently, trying to figure out why in the hell he had finally decided to come to Xavier's instead of going straight to Magneto, as he now, obviously, should have. Not that he really cared about the girl, since he didn't really see why Magneto was going through all this fuss to turn her away from the X-Men, but something had been nudging at his mind as he made his escape from Alton's building. He could lie to himself and say it was the fact he was closer to Xavier's school then anyplace that Magneto was to be, but really, Gambit knew it was because he wanted to impress the Master of Magnetism, prove he was better then those daft gits in the Brotherhood.

Though, sitting in a room in Xavier's school, busted by a fuzzy boy, a skunk-head girl and the Wolverine, wasn't going to be impressing to Magneto, no matter how this was to end.

The door began to creak open at this time, causing Remy to lift his gaze from his cards to the far wall. When it was finally open, Professor Xavier's wheelchair rolled in quietly, stopping near the end of the table. Logan and Scott both followed Xavier in, Scott taking the other empty seat while Logan began pacing behind the Cajun.

Xavier stared at the boy across from him and laced his fingers together atop the table, leaning slightly towards Gambit. "Logan says you do not know where Shay is," Xavier tried speaking quietly, hoping the Cajun would ante up any information he had easily.

"Dat's right."

"Then why are you here tonight?" Scott demanded from beside Xavier. His trust was pretty thin with anyone who was associated with Magneto.

Remy stared back at Scott, not answering. 

"Look, kid," Logan's hand feel heavily onto Gambit's shoulder. "Answer the Porf's questions," one long claw began to slowly unsheathe itself, passing right by Gambit's throat, "or answer to me."

"Logan," Xavier shook his head at the other man. Logan removed his hand, SNAKT, the claw disappearing.

"Something's happened to Shay, Charles, and this kid knows," Logan pointed to the back of Remy's head.

Xavier looked back to Remy, staring him straight in the eye. "Gambit, I don't have to tell you that whether or not you tell us, I can find out for myself how much you know. You can either aide us willingly, or I'll search your mind for what we need."

Remy's eyes dropped down to the look at the table top, then back up to Xavier. He was not going to let the old man into his mind.

"Gambit's not sure where Shay's been taken, dat's de trut'. I came tonight t'-," he stopped and thought for a second. "T' check up on somet'in'."

"Check up on what?" Scott asked.

Gambit just shook his head. "All y'need t'know is I don' know where she is." 

"We'll just use Cerebro then," Scott looked towards the Professor.

Remy shook his head. "Won' work. Dey'll use a helmet like Magneto's." Gambit paused for a second, then looked at Xavier. "I'm sorry," he said softer then normal, his eyes actually showing a small sign of sympathy.

Scott opened his mouth to ask how Gambit knew all this, but Xavier stopped him. "Thank you, Gambit," the Professor spoke softly. Suddenly, his chair moved back slowly from the table.

Scott followed Xavier out of the room, Logan following suit after giving Gambit a harsh stare. 

----------------------------

"So what now? We can't just sit here, Professor," Kurt said hurriedly. He stood to the far side of the War Room, arms crossed, looking quite fidgety. After Gambit's interrogation, Charles had used Cerebro, but to no avail. The Cajun had been telling the truth, Charles couldn't pick up a trace from Shay.

"I know, Kurt. You all want to help find Shay, but there is nothing for you to do tonight," Charles said from the head of the table. Surrounding him were the prime members of the X-Men, Scott, Jean, Kitty, Rogue, Evan, Ororo, Hank and Logan, who was standing near Kurt, apart from the others. His arms were crossed like Kurt, though he hadn't said a word since leaving the interrogation room.

"What are we gonna though? Ah mean, if Cerebro can't find her, how are we goin' to?" Rogue was off to Xavier's side, leaned back slightly in her chair. 

"Well, if Gambit is telling the truth, then there's, like, no way to find her, so we got no starting point," Kitty's voice was softer then normal, her worry for Shay pretty obvious. 

"Thank the Cajun for that one," Logan finally spoke up from Kurt's side. 

The room was quiet for a few moments, most minds working over how to find Shay while one thought about hunting down Magneto to finally kill the bastard. Suddenly, a voice spoke up from beside Ororo. "I think I know someone who can find her."

Everyone turned to look at Evan, the youngest person in the room. He sat, elbows leaning on the table, head down as he looked at the table top. "I don't know how willing he'll be to help…" he trailed off.

"What is it Evan?" Scott voiced the thought on everyone's mind. 

Evan looked up. "Caliban might be able to find her. He's a Morlock. He's tight with Callisto, so he's probably still in the Alley."

"How can he help?" Kitty piped up.

"Caliban can pick up a mutant's signature, much like Cerebro," Xavier explained to his students. "Though, where Caliban's range of detection is only 20 to 25 miles, Cerebro can search the whole world." Xavier paused for a moment, in thought. "Yes, Evan," he directed to the young mutant. "Caliban would be able to find her, though I'm not sure how willing he'll be to help."

"Oh, he'll be willing. He'll be delighted, actually," Logan said as he straighten, "when I'm done with him."

"Logan," Xavier began, but the other man had already begun moving out of the room. "Logan!"

Evan climbed out of his seat and took off after Logan, Kurt and Kitty following suit.

----------------------------

Shay's eyes opened slowly, fuzzy shapes forming before her, or rather above her. She lay on a table, arms, legs and chest strapped down. She could feel her wings pressed underneath her, numb from the loss of blood circulation. She tried to move, but the binds were too tight. She lifted her head slightly, to look at her restraints, but the sudden movement caused pain to shoot through her head. She groaned softly and set her head gently back on the table.

What in the hell happened? She remembered being in the air, heading back to the mansion, actually. The night was exceedingly beautiful, a sky full of stars and a soft breeze, a perfect evening for a night flight.

But then something loud had rocketed through the night, pain in her side, but what was it? The sudden feeling of falling flashed in her mind. Losing control, she'd plummeted towards the ground, too scared to scream.

So, now where was she? Nothing else was coming to her, and she was still strapped to a table, body sore from only God-knows-what.

Suddenly above her, bright lights flashed on, causing Shay to squint her eyes, turning her head slightly to the side. "Hey," she tried to say loudly, but it barely came out more then a whisper. She swallowed a few times, trying not to gag. Her mouth was sour, her throat raw.

Shay heard a voice from beside her, and she opened her eyes again. A man stood beside her, dressed just like a doctor would before an operation. Had she been hurt from the fall? The pain in her side? Why would she be strapped to the table if so?

"Hey," she said a little more loudly this time. "What's going on?"

The man looked down at her, most of his face covered by the surgical mask. His eyes connected with Shay's for a brief moment, but then they were gone, looking across Shay's form to the man on her other side. "Ready to begin?" his voice moved across Shay as though she wasn't even there.

"Yes," came a reply from someone Shay couldn't see. Her head was beginning to spin, her mind clicking in and out on the whole situation. Was she passing out?

"Wait," she tried once again, but no one listened to her. Suddenly, from her abdomen, a blinding pain rocketed throughout her body. Pouring over her like red hot lava, the pain washed away any other though or feeling in her mind. A scream ripped from her throat, echoing throughout the room. 

"She's not healing herself," one voice said above her. Shay had quieted for a moment, catching her breath, but the pain still stayed on.

"I believe this mutant doesn't heal itself, just others," the other voice replied. Now, a new pain erupted in Shay's chest. It felt like someone was pealing off her skin, but that couldn't be. Why would someone do that?

An odd noise poured from Shay's throat, the same noise a wounded animal would make. Her mind was numb, trying to shelter itself from all the hurt, all the pain, but it wasn't working.

"How big of a sample will we need for the skin analysis?"

"I'd say about three ounces, maybe a little more to be on the safe side."

"Can you believe this skin. This silver, it's extraordinary."

"Still red blood though."

"What did you expect? Blue? Black?"

"Maybe pink, to match her hair."

The voice over Shay began to fade away, along with the ceiling and lights. She was blacking out. For once in her life, she was happy to fall into the darkness.

****

****Notes****

Oh, by the way, did I ever tell you guys that the secret to getting the chapters faster is by reviewing? ::winks:: Another thanks has to go to Amy Michelle [dark_english_rose] for putting up with me long enough to translate a little Remy Speak to a Cajun accent.


	15. Losing Touch With Reality

****

Somewhere I Belong

Chapter 15

Wolverine dropped down into the sewer, senses kicked into overdrive as he searched the darkness of the tunnel. With a BAMF, Nightcrawler was beside him while Shadowcat and Spyke climbed down the rest of the ladder. 

"Which way is it, Spyke?" Nightcrawler asked as Logan started down the one-way tunnel.

"Down this tunnel, then to the right. There are a few more turns, but you guys won't get to come with me."

"Why's that?" Shadowcat asked as she hurried to catch up with the two boys.

"Morlocks don't trust anyone. They'd never allow me to bring you guys into the Alley with me. I'll have to go in alone."

"Like hell you will," Wolverine spoke up from infront of the three. 

Spyke looked up at him. "Wolverine, I'll try to bring Caliban out with me, and you can talk to him then, but it's kinda like a rule. No outsiders."

----------------------------

Shay was in and out for the next few hours, hearing bits and pieces of different conversations above her. Each time her eyes opened, they were assaulted with bright white light, restricting her vision, so she kept them closed as much as possible. Those, her ears were her only way to know what was going on around her. Her ears, and her pain. 

They just kept coming back, taking her blood, her skin, her hair. Anything they could test or study, they stole from her. She felt someone pry her mouth up and taking a scraping from inside her cheek. They dropped her head back on the table and she heard fuzzy laughter. No pain though, seeing as how she still wore the helmet they'd put on her at the start of things. 

Why did she still have it on? It was meant to restrict her vision, it didn't work too well, nor for her hearing…

Then suddenly, it hit her, where she'd seen a helmet almost exactly like it. Magneto, he'd worn a helmet to keep Xavier from reading his thoughts, from tracking him. Could these people know that? Was this to keep her from being found?

A soft moan came from Shay's throat. She really was screwed. She was going to be stuck here forever.

"Someone should clip those wings of hers," someone joked above her, his attention turning from the tray table to her.

"Get a pet-groomer in here. Those claws of hers are way took long to be house-broken," another voice laughed.

Shay's hands had clenched into fists, though still bound to the table beneath her. She strained against her metal restraints, causing the men in the room to shout. A stabbing pain jolted through her arm and her mind began to grow fuzzy just as she felt the metal across her wrist begin to bend slightly. She was so close, but she couldn't fight the coming darkness.

"God damn," one of the men in the room whistled as he studied the metal band across Shay's wrist. Her breathing was slow and shallow, a good sign the tranquilizer had already taken effect. "She almost had it."

"That was too damn close. I thought she didn't have any strength left," the other man muttered, pulling out a walkie-talkie from his pocket. He pressed a button and the speaker crackled to life. "This is Bryant in T-Room 18. I need better restraints in here, guys. This mutant almost freed itself. The strongest stuff you got, ok? We don't need any mistakes."

"Roger that," a scrambled voice came back through the radio.

----------------------------

"Ok, this is it," Spyke said as he stopped in the middle of a long tunnel. "I'll be back." He turned to walk down the rest of the tunnel alone, but Wolverine's footsteps echoed behind him as he followed. 

Spyke turned and looked at the older man. "You can't-" he began, but Wolverine stopped him. 

"You ain't going alone, kid. Got it?" Without waiting for his reply, Wolverine started down the tunnel Spyke had been heading. 

"Got it," Spyke said under his breath, trudging behind him.

----------------------------

"That'll hold her. Won't get out of these cuffs."

"She better not, or it'll be your job."

"Hey, if she does, I'll fire myself. This is the strongest stuff we've got. If she gets out, she deserves it."

…

"Scalpel."

"More skin?"

"The last sample was contaminated."

"Are you sure? She is a mutant, it might have just been her skin."

"Well, a second test will prove that."

…

"Take another pint of blood."

"We just sent one down to processing an hour ago. Besides, I don't know how much more she can stand to lose right now. Give her a few hours."

"We don't have a few hours. Do it now."

In and out were Shay's thoughts, again, listening to the voices above her. Every once in awhile, they'd give her another tranquilizer, but it never seemed to overlap with the time they cut into her. She always felt that, the blade cutting her abdomen, the blood on her skin.

Deep in her mind, she was flashing back to her childhood, thoughts of her father in her mind. She knew this was ten times worse then what her father had ever done to her, but there were so many similarities. 

After the first few hours past by, Shay's mind split, and half of her coward in a world far away from everything that was happening around her, while the other half was stuck fighting with her father over and over.

She was quickly losing her touch with the reality around her.
    
    ---------------------

Spyke took a few steps into the Alley, Shay's Morlockia, and looked around for a familiar face. Wolverine wasn't as cautious, as he moved through the Alley, eyes looking for the image of Callisto or Caliban he'd been shown. 

"Evan!" someone shouted from down the Alley. It was Callisto, standing beside Leech, her right-hand mutant. She turned from the smaller boy to Evan, her eyes moving between Spyke and Wolverine. "What is this?"

"Callisto," Spyke began, but Wolverine finished for him. "We're looking for Caliban."

Callisto's face hardened. "I don't think you've been invited here." She looked at Evan. "Why have you brought outsiders here, Evan?"

"Callisto, I need your help. I need to see Caliban."

Looking at Evan, then Wolverine, Callisto shook her head. "I can't allow it. You've broken one of the most sacred rules, Evan. You've-"

Wolverine stepped towards the teenage mutant, his rage pretty apparent. "Listen, kid. We're going to see this Caliban or else."

"Or else?" Callisto laughed, an eerie smile on her face. "What can you-"

"What's going on?" a slow voice said from the side of the Alley. All three looked over, with Callisto giving a small 'oh' as Caliban stepped out into the light. Pale skin, like Shay's just not as silvery, gave Caliban an almost sickly look. Adding to that was the fact his head didn't hold a single hair. He stood tall, towering over the other mutants beside him.

Wolverine knew who it was from the picture, and took a step towards the pale mutant, but Callisto moved in front of him, obviously new to the world of Wolverine and his anger. She turned her back to him and looked at Caliban. "It's nothing."

Caliban shook his head. "I think not." He looked past both Callisto and Wolverine, to Evan. "You need my help?"

Evan nodded. "A girl, we need to you find her."

Caliban frowned. "Who?"

Callisto hung her head, answering for both Wolverine and Evan. "It's Shay, isn't it?"

Wolverine turned her around and grabbed the front of her shirt. "How did you know Shay's missing?"

Callisto struggled against his hold, eventually kicking him to let her go. "I had nothing to do with that!" She backed away from Wolverine, bumping into Caliban behind her. "I wouldn't want Shay hurt."

Wolverine's eyes narrowed on her, but he looked up to Caliban instead. "Can you find her?"

"Yes. Luckily, I know her signature well." He looked at Callisto for a second. "I was the one that found her before."

-----------------------

"No, Daddy, please," Shay pleaded with her father, only six years old. She coward in the corner of her room, wings wrapped around herself for protection. Her tail was curled around her own leg, out of fright. 

"Damn mutant child," her father slurred. "You're the reason she's dead!" 

Tears in Shay's eyes stream down her cheeks, her breathing coming in small hiccups. "Please, I didn't do it, please," she cried over and over, but to no avail.

He stepped over her, a long black belt, one that Shay became very familiar with over those 15 years, held tightly in his hand. It was looped around his fist, stretching the leather tight. "You killed her, you little bitch."

Shay's screams went unnoticed by anyone, seeing as their house was set back farther from the others, a huge disadvantage for baby Shay. The leather cut into her silver skin, her red blood seeping out of her cuts and nose. 

All this took place 12 years ago, but played again in Shay's mind as she was strapped to that table. She'd regressed to her childhood, a time where most children could find happy memories from their parents' love, but not for her. The pain she felt currently was shadowed by past suffering. On the outside, they continued to take her blood, her hair, even the marrow from her bones, to capture her healing mutation. 

It was all in vain though, seeing as Shay's real mutation was one she solely could use. Hank McCoy knew this, from finishing her tests back at the lab beneath Xavier's School. He turned from his computer to the Professor, who was half listening to Hank, the other keeping tabs with Wolverine, Spyke, Nightcrawler, and Shadowcat.

"It's remarkable, Charles. Shay's entire body holds what these 'healing factors,' little stations where she produces this energy that, with contact from her hands, helps boost another's ability to heal."

Xavier lifted his head and stared at the blue beast. "These factors, are they in her blood?"

Hank looks back at his computer. "Yes, but not just there. They seem to be in every part of her. She's just currently using a few, like when she healed Kitty. Using only a few weakens her. Look here," he said as he brought up an image of the outline of a body. The image changed and showed small currents running out of the body. "As these energy boosters leave her body, empty pockets are created with are then filled by whatever is ailing the other person. She not only gives them a boost, but takes what hurts them."

Xavier thought more to himself then watching Hank's demonstration on the computer screen. "And only her hands will activate this?"

Hank nodded. "Yes. It seems the healing factors produce the energy, and deliver it directly to her hands, for later use."

"So no mater if they can re-produce these healing factors, they would need whatever it is that's in Shay's hands to activate it?"

"It seems so. Whatever tests they are doing to her are completely useless."

****

****Notes****

Hey, look at that! No real notes! 


	16. Attack of the Riffraff

****

Somewhere I Belong

Chapter 16

"You have no idea where she could be?" Caliban's voice was just as slow as normal, though there was some urgency to it.

"Nothing," Kitty muttered as she hopped up next to Kurt on the crate he was perched on.

Caliban nodded his head, then settled himself onto a vacant crate. "It will take me a few minutes to find her."

"Take all the time you need," Kurt said, nodding his head. Logan was leaning against the wall a few feet away, his gaze switching between Caliban and Callisto, who had settled herself apart from everyone else, where she could keep a watch on all the X-Men who'd entered the Alley now.

Caliban grew silent, his eyes closed as Kitty and Kurt looked around the small area they'd chosen to converse in. A few of the Morlocks had decided to investigate the source of all the noise and were watching them. Kitty's face was blank as she stared at a few of the more interesting looking mutants. Evan was standing next to him, throwing glances at Callisto. He hadn't meant any harm, and wanted to explain things to her, but keep his thoughts to himself while Caliban searched for Shay.

After a few minutes, the tall Morlock looked up and locked his eyes on Logan. "Almost 15 miles from here, to the northwest."

"You've found her?" Kitty peeped loudly, sliding off the crate.

Caliban nodded his head. "Her signature was strong. I'm sure she's still alive."

Kitty made a soft 'ooh' sound at that, but Logan nodded his head. "You're sure on the direction?"

"Yes. From this spot, it's 15 miles northwest." 

"Thank you," Logan stared Caliban deep in the eye, his head nodding slightly with his words.

Logan was already moving towards the tunnel that would take them out of the Alley, Kitty and Kurt following him. Evan hung back for a few seconds, catching Callisto's eye. "Callisto, I'm sorry. We didn't have any other choice."

She stared at him, extremely aware of Caliban watching the both of them. "I understand, Evan, but I can't overlook it." Evan's head dropped down. "Don't come back here again, Evan. You're banished."

-------------------------

"Beast? We've got a location, 15 miles northwest from the Alley," Logan barked into the microphone of the X-Van as it roared to life outside a large sewer drain they'd used to get underground. Evan was the last of them to climb in, settling into the back seat with Kurt. Kitty sat up front, next to Logan.

"Copy that Wolverine," Beast's voice echoed back to him through a speaker. "The Scott's readying the Blackbird. The minute you return we'll head out."

Logan shifted the van into drive and sped out onto the streets of Manhattan.

----------------------

Deep in the belly of Xavier's Institute, Remy LeBeau still sat at a table in a very small room, in the middle of his twelfth game of Solitaire. There was a soft creak at the door, causing his head to lift slightly, his eyes skipping up to the handle. It turned quickly and the door swung open, Charles Xavier in the doorway. His wheelchair moved into the room, stopping close to the spot it had been earlier.

"I'm sorry about keeping you here so long, my dear boy," Xavier smiled cheerfully at Gambit. "Things have been progressing quite rapidly upstairs, I couldn't seem to find the time to come down and talk with you again. Now that my X-Men have left to find Shay, we can talk."

"And what is it y'want t'talk about, mon ami?" Gambit collected his cards together again and began shuffling them without thought, a habit of his. "Magneto?"

Xavier's smile falter for a second. "No, this is not about Eric."

Gambit's eyebrows raised slightly, a small smile playing across his lips, but that smile stopped with Xavier's next words. 

"This is about you and what you have to offer."

"I t'ink dis speech is a little late, Professor," Gambit stressed the last word, as though it was a joke.

Xavier sighed loudly and gave Remy a hard glare. "I'm not here to force you to change sides, Gambit, but I do want you to think about something." Xavier dropped his face, forcing him to look up at Gambit. "I know about Alton Lanson and I know about the thoughts that were in your head when you killed him."

Remy's face was completely blank, showing no emotion, but inside his mind his thoughts were racing. He remembered the look on Alton's face when he held the charged card. Remy also remembered looking at the picture of Alton and his two children he used to keep on his desk, until Gambit blew up the office.

"And I also know that there were two things that brought you here tonight. One was Magneto and the other was your need to save someone, a need to help Shay if possible."

Although it stayed blank, Gambit's face flared with color, turning a soft red. "Mon ami, I believe y'are goin' too far wit' dis."

Xavier sat back in his chair and continued to stare at Remy. "I'm going to wipe your mind clear of most everything that's happened here, Gambit, except for our discussion. I want you to think about what Magneto is doing to you and instead what you can get here."

Gambit stared at the Professor for a long time after that, his mind silent along with his tongue, for once. Xavier didn't pressure the boy, just continuing his stare, his kind eyes doing all the talking.

Finally, Remy's head nodded slightly and he climbed out of his chair. "T'anks, mon ami," Remy said softly, tipping his head as he left the room. He made his way slowly out of Xavier's Institute, as though his mind was on auto-pilot. He was pretty surprised when he looked up and found himself standing outside the front doors of the mansion.

"What you can get here…." Gambit looked up at the front of the mansion. Shaking his head slowly, he turned and walked down the long driveway.

-----------------------

The Blackbird touched down slowly, surrounded by trees and shrubs. Inside, the X-Men were situated around a large screen, showing the front of small building a few hundred yards away from where they were. Beast had pulled up an old blue-print of the building, which had once been used as a lumber yard. 

"A large door on the west side is the best shot of a quiet entry," Beast pointed to the large door on the screen. "There should be a large circuit box just inside that is a make-shift security grid. Tripping the circuits will cut the alarms so they'll be no re-enforcements as long as we make this quick. 

Scott looked over to Kurt and Kitty. "Nightcrawler, get Shadowcat down to that box. Trip the circuit and come back to the Blackbird. Jean, Wolverine and I will find Shay."

"The elf too," Wolverine spoke as he shot a look in Kurt's direction. "If Shay can't carry herself, it'll be better for him to bring her back quick."

Nightcrawler nodded his head. "Right."

"What about us?" Spyke said as Rogue nodded her head along with him.

"Less bodies running around in there, the better," Beast reasoned as he handed Nightcrawler a communicator, exactly like Cyclopes, Jean and Wolverine's. "We're not looking to shut the whole place down."

"Not yet, anyways," Wolverine muttered, pressing the small speaker into his ear, the cuff resting snuggly on his earlobe.

"Ready, Kitty?" Kurt turned to her. 

"Yeah, let's go," she answered, climbing out of her seat in the Blackbird.

Beast looked at her, nodding his head. "The box will be right on the wall, inside the door."

"A wave of my hand and this place is toast," Shadowcat grinned as Nightcrawler took one of her small hands in his fuzzy blue one.

Suddenly, there was a loud BAMF and in Kitty and Kurt's place was a small patch of smoke, smelling faintly of sulfur. 

Down at the door of the base, Shadowcat and Nightcrawler appeared, the same BAMF and cloud of smoke signaling their arrival. Kitty kept Kurt's hand in hers as she slide straight through the large, metal door. 

The hall was large, though empty for the most part. A corner of the entry hall was filled by a large van, undoubtedly the one that had stowed Shay away from the Institute. Kitty looked around quickly, and there on the wall was the large black box, just as Beast had said. It looked just like a normal circuit breaker in any normal house, except this one was holding the whole security grid for the front doors of this little make-shift base.

Just like she'd said in the Blackbird, Shadowcat walked right up the box, Nightcrawler right next to her, and waved her hand through the box. As she did, someone behind them shouted a loud "Hey!," but the sparks and smoke pouring out of the box's top proved the security on the door was spent.

"What the hell?!" came a shocked voice from behind the pair. Kurt and Kitty turned, still holding hands, to face a young man, wearing an odd set of fatigues and boots. A gun rested at his side. He seemed more then a little surprised by what he saw, but could you blame him?

Kurt smiled at the man, obviously scaring him even more. "Might want to get that looked at real soon. You don't know what kind of riffraff you'll get with your doors wide open."

BAMF.

The young man was left alone, staring at the smoking security ox, gun still at his side, mouth hanging open. After a few silent seconds, he finally recovered, turning and tearing off down the hall, boots cracking against the cement floor.

Bursting into the main security office, three more men who wore the same odd clothing snapped their heads up.

"There are mutant in the building!" the young man shouted at them.

They stared back, then they all busted out laughing, faces quickly turning red and running short of breath. 

"We know, Will. That's the whole point of this place," the biggest of the group finally choked out. The other two continued to giggle, eyes never leaving 'Will.'

"A boy and a girl were in the main tunnel! They disabled the security grid!" Will continued excitedly, his frustration growing on his face.

"What's this about the security gird?" a gruff voice asked from the doorway of the room. All four of the men turned towards the voice, faces falling.

"Nothing, Boss," the same large man said clearly, sitting a little straighter in his chair.

"Nothing, Jamerson?" the so-called Boss looked between Will and the other men. "Are you just crying wolf again, Williams?"

There was no answer from the four men, but one did come from the hall behind the 'Boss.'

"Not so much a wolf, as a Wolverine."

****

****Notes****

Er, sorry it just kinda stops like that, but the next chapter is really, REALLY long and I had to keep it all together, or things wouldn't make sense. Umm… Heh. Love Wolvie. Oh yeah, thanks once again to Amy Michelle [dark_english_rose] for the extra Cajun-ness in this chapter. She's a sweetheart.


	17. Coming Around

****

Somewhere I Belong

Chapter 17

Cyclopes and Jean separated from Wolverine and Nightcrawler when they got inside the door, one set going left and the other heading straight, following the same path Will had taken a few minutes earlier.

"Stay close, elf," Wolverine barked followed by a loud SNIKT.

Nightcrawler did as he was told, looking back and forth between two more empty rooms in the hall.

That's when they heard a loud voice floating down their hall "…about the security grid?"

They followed the rest of the hallway and came up on a man's back. Wolverine motioned for Kurt to wait back a few paces.

Nightcrawler heard Wolverine's sarcastic remark, then the loud cracks of gunfire and at least one man scream.

SNAKT. When Wolverine returned to the spot he'd left Nightcrawler, his uniform had a few extra holes in it, a few still seeped blood.

Kurt knew better then to ask questions.

"Wolverine, we found her," Jean's anxious voice chirped in his ear. Nightcrawler looked at him, the same short message had played in his ear too.

"Where?" Wolverine barked into the small mic.

"North side of the compound," Cyclope's voice answered him. "take the hall we did and stay to the right. Jean's coming to meet you."

Wolverine and Nightcrawler ran back down the corridor they'd just seen and turned down Jean and Scott's hall. Only a few seconds later they ran into Jean.

The normal fiery redhead was extremely pale, which Logan and Kurt didn't take as a grand sign.

"This way," Jean waved at them, turned and hurried down the hall she'd just come from.

As he ran, Wolverine called back to the Blackbird. "Beast, we've found her. Get that damn thing ready."

"Copy Wolverine. How is she?" Beast's crisp voice radioed back to him, but Wolverine barely head it. He and Nightcrawler were now standing in a small operation room, or at least what looked to be an operation room. Closer inspection proved it to be an old laundry room, modified with better lighting and a large metal table in the center of the room.

Bright white lights lit the entire room, reflecting off the edges of the metal table. The light also fell on three bodies in the back corner of the room. All wearing lab coats, they were slumped over each other, knocked unconscious.

On her back, Shay laid on the table, arms and legs chained down. Her eyes were closed, but Wolverine's heightened hearing picked up the soft breathes she was taking.

Scott moved to Logan's side and swallowed deeply. "They were standing over her when we came in. Tried to make a break for it, but Jean held them back, knocked 'em out for a bit."

Wolverine finally realized Beast was still waiting for his answer. "Not good," he answered simply, stepping up to the table. SNIKT. His adamanitium claws made quick work of the chains and when her limbs were free, Logan called Nightcrawler closer. SNAKT.

"Can you get her back?"

Kurt nodded his head. "No problem."

Wolverine turned to Cyclopes and Jean. "Get moving, back to the Blackbird."

Nightcrawler hopped up onto the table with Shay as Jean and Scott made their way out of the room. Kurt grabbed Shay's limp hand and with a look towards Wolverine, BAMF, they were gone.

Now alone, Logan moved closer to the three doctors who Jean and Cyclopes had cornered. As he neared, one of the men stirred, lifting his head slightly from the floor. His eyes moved dreamily around the room until they came to Wolverine, who was slowly drawing closer and closer. The doctor's eyes widened dramatically, the dream state lifting quickly.

"You like play with mutants?" Wolverine growled, SNIKT, his claws gleaming in the light. The doctor's face drained of all color as he stared at those claws.

"N-n-no…" the doctor stuttered, trying to back even farhter into the corner.

"How about you try it with a mutant who isn't drugged and chained?" Wolverine took another threatening step towards the doctor, but a loud BAMF from behind him stopped Logan.

"Wolverine, we have to go," Kurt said as he drew closer. Logan growled, staring at the doctor.

"Is Shay on the Blackbird?"

"Yes. Beast was taking her to the back when I left. Storm said we need to get her to the Institute quickly."

Wolverine gave a final frustrated growl, turn between revenge for Shay of getting her help. The doctor had stopped moving, his eyes darting between Logan and Kurt.

Finally, Wolverine took a step back from the doctor, SNAKT, who's relief couldn't be any more obvious.

Nightcrawler stretched out a hand and grabbed Wolverine's shoulder. BAMF. They stood in the Blackbird, facing the rear of the plane. Kurt's hand dropped from his shoulder and Logan made his way back to the medic station of the Blackbird as he felt Scott bring the jet up. As it evened out, Logan found Ororo and Hank looking down at Shay, who was lying on a steel table, much like the one she'd been on for the last 26 hours. Shay's eyes were closed, though as Logan neared he saw her lids were twitching. 

"She awake yet?" he asked Ororo as he stepped up beside her.

She shook her head. "Almost, she's beginning to come around. I'm not sure what they've been giving her, so I can't counter it. It's best to just let it run its course."

Hank leaned down and studied the large bandage on Shay's abdomen. Her chest and lower body were covered by the top and shorts the doctors had dressed her in, but Hank had pulled the bottom of her shirt up, to uncover this area. The bandage was taped down on all sides, though in the center, a dark stain was seeping through. "I don't like the look of these wounds." 

"There are more bandages. One on her mid-back, another on her thigh," Ororo reported as moved over to a cabinet. She began pulling out clean bandages and tape. 

"What are they from?" Logan asked, staring at Shay's quiet face. Her eyes were flickering even more now, a sure sign she was about to wake up. He leaned closer to her. "Shay?"

Hank and Ororo both looked at Shay, expecting her eyes to open. When they did, it wasn't what they were expecting. Her breathing automatically increased, her eyes darting around her. Once again, Shay's hold on the situation around her was shot. The images before her flashed in her mind, distorted by all the pain and tranquilizers she'd been given. 

With a shriek, Shay jumped up off the table, moving back from the doctors. No, now it was her father. He moved towards her, cussing at her. She raked her claws across her face, screaming at him.

Logan growled, feeling the blood start seeping from the scratches on his face. "Shay!" he shouted at her again, trying to calm her. Hank moved in beside him, calling her name again, a little more calmly then Logan.

Shay shook her head, her hands clenched at her side. Why wouldn't they leave her alone? The doctors were before her again, moving closer to her. They held knives in their hands, evil grins on their faces. They beckoned to her, to try and escape. 

"No, no, no," Shay moaned, moving back even more, until she hit the wall of the plane. "Please, don't." She pulled her arms around her body, trying to protect herself from them. 

Logan and Hank exchanged a glance, the wounds on Logan's face already beginning to heal, then Hank moved a little closer to her. "Shay, calm down. We're not going to hurt you."

Shay's gaze lifted, her magenta eyes gleaming at him. Her father sneered at her, belt wrapped around his fist. "Come on girlie, let's have it," he mocked at her.

"NO!" she shouted, and sprang at Hank, claws shredding the front of his uniform. 

"Shay!" Logan roared, grabbing the sides of her wings, pulling her back off of Hank. She spun around, eyes shocked at the fact her father was now behind her. She raised an arm to claw at his face, but Logan was faster and wrapped his arms around her, pinning her arms to her side. 

Ororo moved closer to them. "We can't help her like this."

Hank nodded his head, leaning against a counter. "Sedate her for the moment, Ororo. Nothing strong, just so she'll calm down."

Ororo moved back to the cabinet and brought back with her a vial and needle. She filled it as Shay struggled against Logan's hold. Tears were in her eyes as she stared hopelessly at him. "No, no. Please, don't," she sobbed. She saw her father's evil grin falter for a second. Everything around her shuddered, like a film strip that's been caught on a hiccup.

Suddenly, Logan's face sprang up before her, his brown eyes staring right at hers. His face was knitted with concern, but for what? But then he was gone, replaced by a man's face, covered by a medical mask.

Logan watched Ororo swap a spot on Shay's shoulder, then slip the needle into her skin, pressing down firmly on the tip. "I'm sorry, darlin'," Logan muttered to Shay, though he doubted she could hear it.

Shay felt the pain again, less then normal, but still pain, in her shoulder. She struggled again against whatever was holding her, another moan coming from her throat.

Then, again, her vision gave a heave, as if re-aligning itself. A second time, Logan was the center of her attention, but this time, it was clearer, as though she'd just woken up from a horrible dream. Her ears were also bombarded by the noises of wind and voices, voices that sounded so familiar to her.

"Logan?" she whispered softly, the sedative now beginning to darken her vision. She felt her own body going weak, her fists that had been so tight her claws were cutting into her own flesh a few seconds before were not hanging limply by her side. 

"Yeah, it's ok, Shay," Logan sighed, picking her up the best he could and taking her back to the table, laying her back down, just as he'd come upon her in the lab and again on the Blackbird. 

Before she was even back on the table, Shay's eyes were closed again, her breathing beginning to even out. Hank moved over her, checking her heartbeat. He looked up at Ororo, and nodded his head. "She'll be out for about an hour. We should be back at the Institute before that. Charles needs to see her."

Logan took a few steps back, staring at the gargoyle girl as Hank took a deep breath, looking at Ororo. "Bring me those bandages, Ororo. I want to get these cleaned as quickly as possible."

While Ororo gathered the medical supplies he'd need, Hank lifted up the bottom of her shirt again, uncovering the bandage once more. Logan watched him begin to gentle peel the tape back around the edges. After a few tense moments, Hank finally removed the gaze and his brow furrowed in anger. 

The wound, a large bloody square, was almost three inches wide, and still looked fresh, as though they'd only done it a few minutes before, instead of hours. Hank gave a grunt out of frustration and looked up at Shay's face. "My God…" he said softly, shaking his head. 

He took a piece of cotton and cleaning solution from Ororo, and began to clean the wound. Logan watched as he did, never taking his eyes off the wound. Ororo too watched, though she wasn't as silent. "They don't look deep," she muttered as she threw away another piece of bloody cotton. 

"It looks like they just… peeled off her skin," Hank said slowly, ripping off another piece of tape for the new bandage he'd placed over the cut. "Tests."

"What?" Ororo asked as she looked up at his face. "What tests?"

Hank sighed. "Charles and I believe they were looking for a way to duplicate Shay's healing ability. Skin tests, blood tests, DNA testing, anything they could get a signature from to trace the healing factors."

The three of them were silent as Hank put the last piece of tape on the bandage. He moved back and looked over at Ororo. "Her mid-back?"

Ororo nodded. "And her right thigh." Hank looked back at Shay and was about to pull up the hem of her shorts, when he noticed a dark spot on her other side. 

"What's this?" he asked out loud, though he wasn't expecting an answer. He moved around the table and stopped. Shay's whole side was covered in another bandage, but this one was completely red, soak through and through with blood. 

"Ororo, get me another bandage, now," he said quickly, pulling the stained bandage off hurriedly. Logan moved closer and watched as the bandage came off, and a large wound, much worse then the first, covered her side. Dark blood still seeped out her side, trickling down onto the table. 

"Not as clean as the other ones," Logan remarked, off-handedly.

Hank shot him a look out of the corner of his eye. "You said there was a shot, right? Yesterday when they took her? This is probably where it hit."

Ororo handed him the antiseptic solution, grimacing when she saw the blood. "They didn't care for the wound at all."

"They thought they didn't need to," Ororo looked over at Logan, who had moved down the table, closer to Shay's head. "They figured she'd be dead soon anyways."

****

****Notes****

I know, I know. It's a freakishly long chapter, but I love it. This is probably one of my favorite chapters, besides the one-on-one fight between Logan and Shay and the chapter with Shay and Kurt fighting. … Could you tell I like action scenes? Lol.


	18. I'm An XMen

****

Somewhere I Belong

Chapter 18

An hour later, the Blackbird sat quietly in the underground hanger at the Institute, while Shay rested in the large hospital wing housed in the belly of the mansion. Her stats were improving slowly, Ororo or Hank coming in every so often to change her bandages and administer anything she might need. It took her two full days of rest until her eyes finally opened on their own free will.

A few rays of sunshine hit her sore eyes, causing her to squint slightly. Her throat was raw, and for a split second, Shay feared to open her eyes completely, that she would see she was still chained to a cold steel table, doctors hovering over her, talking about her as though she was just an animal. But a familiar voice dismissed all her fears with a few simple words. 

"How do you feel, Shay?"

Opening her eyes all the way, Shay looked to her side and saw Xavier smiling at her. Not in a big smiling mood, she cleared her throat and tried to say 'fine' to him, but it came out barely more then a whisper.

"I'm afraid you'll have to wait a little more for your voice to come back. This might help a little." He handed her a small cup of water and Shay pulled herself up to a semi-sitting position. Her wings were sore from her body laying on them, but there wasn't much she could do about it. She accepted the cup from Xavier and took a long drink.

"Thanks," she croaked, handing it back with one hand, the other rubbing her throat. She looked at Xavier, a drowsy feeling washing over her. She settled back down into the pillows, her eyes getting heavy. "How did you find me?"

Sitting back in his chair, Charles folded his hands in his lap. "With the help of the Morlocks."

Shay's eyes popped open from their half-closed state with shock. "What are you talking about?" she mumbled, taking a deep breath.

"Gambit told us about the helmet, so Evan and a few others went to the Alley and asked for Calliban's help in finding you."

"Gambit?" Shay's eyebrows knitted together in confusion.

Xavier's face lightened with a smile. "I believe you're missing a large part of your own story, Shay."

----------------------

After Xavier had told her everything he knew about Shay's abduction and rescue, he left her alone for awhile, to rest some more, but Shay was sick of being indoors. After making sure the Professor had left, Shay climbed slowly out of bed and hunted down some clothing, stripping off the semi-hospital gown she was wearing. Covered in a pair of cut-off jeans and a tank top, Shay moved out the door and through the medic unit. She took her time climbing the set of stairs she found and had to sit and rest at the top for a few minutes.

"Not my brightest idea," she muttered to herself and she pushed herself up again and passed through the door into a hall.

"Shay? What in the hell are you doing out here?" Logan's growl caused her to stop in her tracks.

"Shit," she muttered quietly and turned to find Logan standing down the hall from the stairs. "I'm fine, really."

Logan stepped up infront of her and stared at Shay. "Sure you are, that's why you're white as a ghost," he frowned at her. "You should be in bed."

"Jesus, thanks Dad," Shay muttered as she turned to head down the hall anyways. Logan's hand on her shoulder stopped her. She looked back at him over her shoulder, turning slightly to get her wing out of the way.

"Are you feeling ok?"

Shay nodded her head. "Better then before. A little shaky, but I'm fine."

It was Logan's turn to nod his head as he lifted his hand off her shoulder. She began to turn to head back down the hall when she paused and looked at him once more. "Hey Logan. Xavier told me what happened. Everything... Thanks." Shay's eyes gleamed at him.

Logan nodded his head. Only after Shay had turned and started down the hall again did his lips part in a smile.

----------------------

It took a few more days until Shay felt good enough to start back with her normal routine. It took the same length of time for everyone to clam down and stop asking her every fifteen minutes if she was feeling fine. It didn't matter though, because she always lied and said she was ok.

Truthfully, Shay felt completely shaken and vulnerable. She felt like an idiot, she felt like a child again and she felt like she'd been violated on every possible plane, though no one knew this outside her own little mind. Feelings she thought she'd never feel again resurfaced in her, weakness and defenselessness, that she actually NEEDED someone again in her life for protection all added to a great weight in her mind and body.

At night, her nightmares of her father were back with a vengeance, except now he had help from doctors covered by surgical masks, their eyes glowing evilly in the darkness. She often woke with a cry, her own eyes searching the corners of her room for hidden killers. Of course she never found anything, but that didn't mean she got any more sleep those nights.

Shay often found herself bombarded by more and more memories she'd keep blocked out of her mind from her childhood at inopportune times. Hank often asked her if she wanted to talk about what happened to her while she was locked up in that building, but she always shook her head and continued with her filing or testing. Xavier's voice would whisper in her mind at dinner if she wanted to talk afterwards in his office, but she'd look to him at the table and shake her head no. 

The pain and humiliation would now be a scar in her mind, just as the ones on her body. Large ugly things that would always be with her, always a reminded of letting her guard down, letting weakness show.

It was easy to say that Shay needed someone to help her more now then ever before. Oddly enough, it was Kurt who showed her this. The two were sitting at the long dining table, a chess board set between the two. Kurt was trying to teach Shay how to play, picking up a bishop and explaining that it could only move diagonally around the board.

"Got it?" Kurt smiled at her from across the table.

"Sure," Shay's own smile was a little sad, a normal look for her now-a-days.

Kurt and she fell into silence as they quietly began taking turns, moving their pieces across the board towards each other. Twice Kurt had to set one of Shay's pieces back and shake his head.

After Kurt kicked her tenth piece off the board, Shay gave a small grumble and frowned. "What am I doing wrong?"

Kurt shook his head in amusement and pointed to Shay's only rook left and her Queen. "You can't just keep going at me with one, it won't work. You've gotta work at least another piece with it. It's just about impossible to check-mate a King with only one piece."

Shay lifted her eyes and stared at Kurt. "What did you say?"

Kurt's smile took on a new meaning for Shay. "You can't do it alone," he said, a little naïve to the hidden meaning of his statement.

Shay sat back slightly in her seat and stared mutely at the board, then to all her pieces on one side of the board, and the three pawns of Kurt's she'd been able to knock off.

"Right," Shay said softly, something finally clicking in her mind. Kurt, of course, ended up kicking her ass by the end of the game. He asked if she wanted a re-match but she said she had something else to do. 

Kurt packed up the pieces into the folding board while Shay left the room and headed to the Professor's office. She had quite a few things to get off her chest, and she couldn't do that alone.

----------------------

Walking alone in the same woods she'd fallen into a few months ago, Shay felt better then she had in years. Her body was almost completely healed from the traumas it had been put though. Her scars were a dark grey compared to her light grey skin, forever a reminder of a low part in her life. Her mind was healing slowly but surely, now aided by Charles Xavier, something she should have started long ago. Although he couldn't help her with everything, simply talking to him had helped her tremendously.

Pulling a leaf off a low branch, Shay heard a loud CRACK as someone else stepped on their own branch. She turned and saw a young man making his way towards her, covered by a long trench coat, two red eyes glancing up at her as he made his way closer. Shay was close to bolting when it suddenly hit her who this boy was. 

Gambit.

Waiting for him to draw near enough to talk to him, Shay remembered what Xavier had told her the day she'd woken up, that Gambit might have had an ulterior motive for coming back to the Institute. Her eyes were twinkling slightly, a mischievous gleaming washing over them. She didn't hate him, though his boss was another story. No, Gambit was not a enemy to her, though Shay couldn't explain why she thought that. He'd helped set up the team that had kidnapped her from Xavier's. But something in the back of Shay's mind argued that, if not Gambit, Magneto would have gotten someone else. 

Remy looked back at the girl he'd been thinking about off and on ever since leaving Xavier's Institute. The damn girl had caused him more trouble then she was worth, and he'd never even spoken two words to her. He'd remedy that right now though.

"Hello, chere," he winked at her.

"Hello, Gambit," Shay replied, cocking her head to the side to stare at him. He was oddly handsome, she'd give him that. "Still playing Magneto's little messenger boy?"

Gambit's face fell, not taking to well to Shay's sarcasm. "I'm not a messenger."

A sly smile spread over Shay's face. "So, what are you doing here?"

Gambit quieted, glaring at her. "Wanted t'check up on y', chere."

"Well, I'm doing just fine, thanks," Shay scoffed, not believing a word he said. "So if you're not his messenger, what are you? His lackey?"

Gambit's eyes softened a bit, the hard glare disappearing. "We're not talkin' 'bout me, chere."

"Why not?" Shay returned his frown, though for a different reason then he. "The Professor told me that you came here, after-," she stopped herself before mentioning the remains of Alton Lanson. "Instead of going to Magneto," she continued on. "Thanks," she finally chirped, giving him a soft smile.

Gambit paused for a second, then let out a soft laugh. I don' know what dat Professor has been telling y', chere, but I wouldn' believe it all."

Shay's anger flared up and she turned to leave before she did something she'd regret later, but a "Hey, wait!" stopped her. She turned and raised an eyebrow at him. "What?"

"Magneto says... y'spot is still open."

Shay stared at Gambit for a few silent seconds, almost as though she was sizing him up for a fight. Finally a small smile played across her lips. "Tell Magneto he can take my spot and piss off." She turned quickly and began walking back to the mansion. "I'm an X-Men."

The End.

****

****Notes****

So, how did everyone like it? I hope y'all enjoyed it enough to hang around for the sequel, that is if I ever get it finished. Umm, of course, one last time I have to thank Amy Michelle [dark_english_rose] for helping with Gambit's accent and for being a regular reviewer on this story. Heh. For awhile there, I was basically updating just for her. 

Umm... the sequel will focus a lot on Shay's past, and her fixing a few things. It'll take place about a year after this, so she'll be about 19. I've gotten some request, mostly from my friend Ginny, about some kind of relationship, so that might come into play. 

I've barely began it, so I'm not even sure what's to happen. I do have another idea churning in the back of my mind for a third installment to the story, but we'll see how well the sequel does before that happens. 

Thanks again to all my reviewers!


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